Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
16-13,6-11Big Ten
Ohio State
5-20,2-15Big Ten
'Cats Beat Buckeyes, 3-1
11/21/2025 9:04:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
COLUMBUS, OH -- Northwestern volleyball secured a Big Ten victory on the road on Friday night, defeating Ohio State in four sets (25-15, 25-27, 25-23, 25-22) at the Covelli Center.
The win improved the 'Cats to 16-13 on the season and 6-11 in Big Ten action, while Ohio State fell to 5-20 and 2-15 in conference play.
Three Wildcats finished with double-digit kills, as Rylen Reid, Bella Bullington and Campbell Paris all notched 14. Reid had a career day, securing a double-double with 11 digs and a career-high eight service aces. Kayla Kauffman led the way on the defensive end, recording seven blocks for the second straight match.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Buckeyes got on the board first, but Ayah Elnady immediately responded with her first kill of the match. A series of Ohio State errors gave the Wildcats some separation, and a service ace from Drew Wright stretched the Northwestern lead to five. The Buckeyes responded with a 3-0 run of their own, but a block from Reid and Kauffman allowed the 'Cats to maintain the advantage. Reid followed that up with back-to-back service aces, bringing the score to 15-6. It was all Northwestern from that point onward, as Bullington and Paris got hot to lead the Wildcats to a set-one victory. Bullington and Paris each finished with four kills in the first set, and Northwestern had five service aces as a team.
SET 2 | Both teams traded points to begin the second set, with Ohio State grabbing a three-point lead early. Another service ace from Wright tied the set up at 11-11, but the Buckeyes had a two-point advantage going into the media timeout. Reid's fourth ace of the match brought the score within one, and a Bullington kill tied the set up again at 18-18. The 'Cats continued to fight through the final stretch of play, but it was the Buckeyes who reached set point first. A crucial kill from Reid tied the set up at 24-24, and yet another service ace brought Northwestern to set point. The Buckeyes dug deep in the end, taking the set 27-25.
SET 3 | Elnady registered two quick kills to begin set three, and the Wildcats continued rolling to force a Buckeye timeout. A kill from Bella Simkus and service ace from Lauren Carter generated some momentum for the 'Cats, but Ohio State battled back to cut the Northwestern lead to three. Paris registered another kill to maintain the Wildcat advantage, but the Buckeyes did not let up, keeping the score close. A bad set from Ohio State put the 'Cats in the driver's seat, and an ensuing attack error allowed Northwestern to secure the third set victory.
SET 4 | Ohio State opened the fourth set on a 3-0 scoring run, jumping out to a quick 5-2 lead. The Wildcats were able to regroup after calling a timeout, with Bullington grabbing another kill and Reid securing her eighth service ace of the night. Bullington came up big at the end of the third set, recording three kills to give the 'Cats a one-point lead. Northwestern found themselves with a three-point advantage late, and a Paris kill brought the score to 23-20. In the end, the Wildcats were able to take the fourth set by a score of 25-22.
Game Notes
- Rylen Reid finished with her second-ever double-double, recording 14 kills to go along with 11 digs.
- Reid also finished with eight service aces, which tied for the most ever by a Wildcat in a four-set match.
- Kayla Kauffman finished with a match-high seven blocks. This is the eighth time this season that the first-year has recorded seven blocks in a match.
- Northwestern finished with 15 team service aces in the match, a season high.
- Campbell Paris hit .462 en route to her 14 kills against Ohio State. That was good for her third match this season with at least ten kills on a hitting percentage above .400.
- First-year Lauren Dignan reached double-digit digs for the seventh time this season, tying Reid and Drew Wright for the match lead with 11.
Up Next
Next up for the Wildcats is a trip to West Lafayette, Ind., where they will face No. 11 Purdue on Sunday. First serve is set for 5:30 p.m. CT, and the action will be streamed on Big Ten Network.
