Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
15-12,5-10Big Ten
Iowa
14-13,5-10Big Ten
Elnady, Paris Record Career Nights as 'Cats Fall to Iowa, 3-2
11/13/2025 9:03:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
CORALVILLE, Iowa -- Three Wildcats reached double-digit kills on Thursday night, but Northwestern volleyball came up just short in a five-set match (20-25, 25-17, 27-25, 27-29, 9-15) against Iowa at XTream Arena, falling to the Hawkeyes 3-2.
The loss pushed the 'Cats to 15-12 on the season and 5-10 in Big Ten action, while Iowa moves to 14-13 and 5-10 in conference play.
Ayah Elnady led the way on offense, finishing with a match-high 20 kills to go along with 14 digs, good for her third straight double-double. Campbell Paris set a career high finished with 19 kills, and Rylen Reid racked up 14.
Lauren Carter also finished with a double-double, dishing up 39 assists and grabbing 10 digs in addition to three service aces. Bella Simkus came up big on the defensive end, finishing with a career-high nine blocks on the night.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Wildcats struck first, with Simkus and Paris grabbing a block to begin the match. The Hawkeyes responded with a series of kills, going on a 3-0 run to secure an early lead. A Reid kill halted Iowa's momentum, and a service ace from Gigi Navarrete allowed Northwestern to pull within two points. Iowa's lead was six points going into the media timeout, but back-to-back Hawkeye errors gave the 'Cats some wiggle room. Kills from Elnady and Paris kept the score close, but Northwestern could not rally late, losing the first set 25-20.
SET 2 | The second set began as a back-and-forth affair, with four ties and two lead changes through the first stretch of play. Bella Bullington registered a huge kill to grow Northwestern's lead to four points, but Iowa continued to fight, cutting the lead back to one. A service ace from Drew Wright kept the 'Cats in control, and a kill from Reid brought the score to 16-11. Another block from Simkus and Paris forced an Iowa timeout late, and the Wildcats kept rolling, taking the second set 25-17 after Paris' ninth kill of the match.
SET 3 | Paris picked up right where she left off in the third set, grabbing another kill to secure double-digit kills on the night. Both teams traded points to begin play, with the score all tied up at 10-10. Another Elnady kill allowed the 'Cats to pull ahead by two, and Carter's team-leading 37th service ace of the season highlighted a 7-0 run for Northwestern. The Hawkeyes kept it interesting, putting some pressure on the Wildcats to force a timeout. Iowa jumped out to a 19-18 lead after a crucial sequence of plays, but a Paris kill kept Northwestern in striking distance. Kills from Reid and Elnady tied the set at 25-25, and back-to-back Wildcat blocks secured the crucial third set win at 27-25.
SET 4 | The fourth set was just as competitive as the previous three, with both teams going at each other early. Iowa put together a run to extend their lead to five points, but an Elnady kill brought some momentum for the 'Cats. The Hawkeyes were the first team to 15 points, but the Wildcats got hot coming out of the media timeout. Northwestern fought back to go on a 5-0 scoring run, with Elnady coming up with three huge kills in that span. A solo block from Simkus tied up the score at 17-17, but Iowa rallied to grab a two-point lead late. Set four was tied again at 23-23, with Iowa getting to set point first. Neither team let up, but it was Iowa that would take the fourth set in extra points, 29-27.
SET 5 | The 'Cats jumped out to a 5-3 lead to begin set five, but the Hawkeyes didn't quit, tying the score at 5-5. A crucial Iowa block allowed their lead to grow to four, forcing Northwestern to use their final timeout of the match. A kill from Gabrielle Gerry kept the Wildcats in it, but it was not enough in the end as Iowa took set five 15-9.
Game Notes
- Ayah Elnady registered her third straight double-double and her fourth in a five-game stretch, finishing with a season-high 20 kills and 14 digs. It was the fifth 20-kill performance of her career, and her first as a Wildcat.
- Lauren Carter finished with a team-high 39 assists and 10 digs, securing her fifth double-double of the season.
- Carter also finished with three service aces, growing her season total to 38. It was her fifth three-ace game of the season and her 11th match this year with at least two aces.
- Bella Simkus finished with a match-high nine blocks, surpassing her previous single-game career high of eight. That was achieved in the season's opening weekend against UC San Diego (Aug. 31).
- The 'Cats had three players with double-digit kills (Elnady, Paris and Reid) as well as three with double-digit digs (Elnady, Carter and Drew Wright).
- Paris' 19 kills were a career high, and she reached that mark on a .325 attack percentage. Of her six double-digit performances this season, just one has come on an attack percentage lower than .300 (Nov. 8 at UCLA).
- There were 30 ties and 20 lead changes in the match.
Up Next
Northwestern will return to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday to take on Washington. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. CT, and the action will be streamed on B1G+.
