Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
11-5,1-3Big Ten
Minnesota
13-2,3-1Big Ten
'Cats Fall to No. 10 Minnesota
10/5/2025 5:00:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern rallied late but couldn't close out, dropping a match to the No. 10 Minnesota Golden Gophers by a final score of 3-1 (18-25, 22-25, 25-17, 24-26) on Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The loss dropped Northwestern's record to 11-5 overall and 1-3 in Big Ten play, while the Gophers improved to 13-2 and 3-1.
The Wildcats were led by a double-double from Ayah Elnady, who registered 14 kills and 10 digs on the day. Bella Bullington also added 14 kills to help the offense. On the defensive end, Lauren Dignan chipped in with 14 digs to go with two blocks from Gabrielle Gerry.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The teams battled through the first set, but the Wildcats eventually dropped the frame 25-18 to fall to a 1-0 deficit in the match. The Gophers and the 'Cats traded points early, playing to six ties before either team reached 15. However, the Golden Gophers took control down the stretch, using two 3-0 runs to secure the match's first lead.
SET 2 | Once again, the two sides stayed neck-and-neck in the early part of set two. After the 'Cats opened up a 5-1 lead to start, the Gophers battled back to a 13-13 tie midway through. It was back-and-forth from there, but Minnesota took the lead for good at 19-18 and held out for a 25-22 victory. The Wildcats dropped the set in spite of a strong showing on the attacking side; they put together a .310 attack percentage with 17 kills in the set loss.
SET 3 | Northwestern stayed alive with a win in set three to make it a 2-1 match, taking the set 25-17. Northwestern took the lead for good at 13-12 on the first of four straight points. Rylen Reid served up two aces, while Elnady and Bullington contributed kills to stretch the lead to 16-12, a lead Northwestern would never relinquish. Elnady racked up five kills and five digs in the frame to help the 'Cats to victory.
SET 4 | Northwestern couldn't keep the rally going and fell in set four to drop the match. Neither team opened up a lead of more than four points along the way, but the Gophers had the last word, winning 26-24 to take the match 3-1.
Game Notes
» Northwestern had four players in double figures in kills for the second time in the last three matches.
» Rylen Reid had a match-high three aces in the loss, her fourth match of the season with three or more aces.
» Ayah Elnady registered her third double-double of the season with 14 kills and 10 digs.
» Bella Bullington had a team-high 14 kills for Northwestern. She has now eclipsed the ten-kill mark in three straight matches.
» Lauren Dignan recorded double-digit digs for the third time in her last four matches, leading the team with 14 against Minnesota.
» Northwestern attackers were helped by a team-high 28 assists from Lauren Carter, who has now recorded at least 20 assists in each Big Ten contest this year.
Up Next
After opening their Big Ten schedule with four straight home matches, the 'Cats will hit the road for the first time in nearly a month next weekend when they travel to take on Rutgers and Penn State. They'll face off with the Scarlet Knights at 6 p.m. CT on Friday, then battle the No. 16 Nittany Lions at 6 p.m. CT on Saturday. Both matches will be streamed on B1G+.
