Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
13-6,3-4Big Ten
Michigan
12-6,2-5Big Ten
'Cats Outlast Michigan in Five-Set Thriller
10/16/2025 11:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern volleyball secured a gritty five-set win (25-23, 23-25, 17-25, 25-22, 15-13) against Michigan on Thursday night in Welsh-Ryan Arena. After dropping both sets two and three, Northwestern battled back to a 3-2 victory over the Wolverines.
The win pushed the 'Cats to 13-6 on the season and 3-4 in Big Ten action, while Michigan moves to 12-6 and 2-5 in conference play.
Buse Hazan came alive in the victory, taking over the match with a team-high 17 kills to go along with six blocks. Ayah Elnady chipped in as well with 13 kills of her own, while Lauren Dignan led the back-row defense with 13 digs.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The first set began as a back-and-forth affair, with both teams trading service errors. Michigan jumped out to an early 9-6 lead, but the 'Cats were able to gain some momentum after a Campbell Paris kill. Bella Bullington followed that up with two consecutive kills, tying the set up at 10-10. A huge ace from Lauren Carter brought the Northwestern lead to three points, but Michigan clawed their way back to tie the set up again at 19-19. In the end, the Wildcats were able to secure the first-set victory after a Wolverine service error. Hazan and Bullington led the way with four kills apiece in the opening set.
SET 2 | Northwestern came out hot in the second set, but Michigan fought back to keep the score close. A block from Paris and Bella Simkus brought some energy to Welsh-Ryan Arena, but it was immediately silenced by a Wolverine kill. Kayla Kauffman and Hazan combined for another Northwestern block to cut the Michigan lead to two points, and an electric rally that concluded with a Hazan kill tied the set up at 14-14. The rest of the set was nip and tuck, but it was Michigan that was able to pull away, taking the second set 25-23.
SET 3 | Michigan carried its momentum into the third set, jumping out to an early 4-0 lead. Elnady was able to stop the run with a kill, and Hazan and Kauffman secured another block to even up the score. The Wolverines found some energy of their own after calling a timeout, going on an 8-1 run. The 'Cats responded with a run of their own, highlighted by a Gigi Navarrette ace. Northwestern could not seem to find a rhythm after a series of errors, however, and Michigan was able to take the third set 25-17.
SET 4 | The Wildcats continued to fight in the fourth set, trading points with the Wolverines through the first half of play. A kill from Kathryn Randorf brought some life, and a Michigan attack error evened the score back up at 15-15. An ace from Elnady allowed the 'Cats to get ahead by one, and a Paris kill continued to apply pressure on Michigan. Northwestern dug deep to take the lead at 23-22 and then carried that momentum to the end, winning the fourth set 25-22 and forcing a fifth set off a crucial solo block from Elnady.
SET 5 | The fifth set did not disappoint, with neither team leading by more than two points through the first half of play. Just when Michigan began to pull away, Paris came up with a huge kill and block to keep the 'Cats in the fight. Hazan took control of the match late, putting up three consecutive kills to give the Wildcats the lead at 13-12. It was all Northwestern from there, as Hazan got the final point to take the set 15-13 and the match 3-2.
Game Notes
» Buse Hazan had a team-high 17 kills for Northwestern, smashing her previous season high of nine, set against Valparaiso on September 9. Her seven blocks were a career high.
» Northwestern got a team-high 13 digs from Lauren Dignan, her fourth double-digit performance against a Big Ten opponent.
» Sienna Noordermeer and Lauren Carter both finished with over 20 assists for the 'Cats; Noordermeer had 23 on the night while Carter finished with 21. It marked the 15th time this season that both Wildcat setters reached double digits in the same match.
» Ayah Elnady recorded double-digit kills for the fourth straight match, contributing 15 of the 'Cats' 51. She fell just shy of a double-double with nine digs defensively.
» The match was Northwestern's third five-set victory of the season after the 'Cats previously defeated both Valparaiso (Sept. 9) and Oregon (Sept. 28) by scores of 3-2. Tim Nollan's squad is now 3-1 in five-set matches, with the only loss coming at the hands of then-No. 20 Baylor on September 4.
Up Next
Northwestern returns to action this Sunday, when the 'Cats host the rival Illini at Welsh-Ryan Arena. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT and action will be streamed on B1G+.
