Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
16-15,6-13Big Ten
Wisconsin
23-4,16-3Big Ten
'Cats Fall Short Against No. 10 Wisconsin
11/26/2025 10:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern volleyball snapped a streak of 18 straight sets won for No. 10 Wisconsin, but the 'Cats couldn't convert the momentum into a match victory on Wednesday night in Welsh-Ryan Arena, falling 3-1 (18-25, 22-25, 25-20, 22-25) on Senior Night.
The seniors showed out for the 'Cats; graduate student Ayah Elnady led the offensive charge, finishing with a team-high 18 kills to go along with 12 by senior Rylen Reid. Sienna Noordermeer secured her second double-double of the season on her senior night, racking up a team-high 20 assists to go along with 11 digs.
On the defensive side, Kayla Kauffman finished with another seven blocks, while Drew Wright led the team in digs, with 13.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Wisconsin jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead to begin the opening set, but an attack error quickly ended the team's run. Reid grabbed her first kill of the night to keep the score close, but the Badgers got hot, forcing a Wildcat timeout. Back-to-back kills from Elnady and Campbell Paris then brought the 'Cats within six points, and a kill from Bella Bullington cut the lead to four. Elnady continued her strong performance, finishing the set with a match-high five kills, but it was not enough as Northwestern fell 25-18 in set one.
SET 2 | The second set was a back-and-forth affair, with neither team leading by more than three points through the first stretch of play. Another kill from Reid tied the score at 5-5, but a 3-0 Badger run allowed Wisconsin to get ahead. Kills from Bullington and Paris forced a Wisconsin timeout, but the Badgers took that time to refocus, securing a six-point lead late out of the break. A series of errors and a huge solo stuff from Kauffman pulled the 'Cats back within striking distance, and another kill from Elnady cut the deficit to just two, 21-19. Northwestern fought hard but came up just short in the end, dropping set two by a score of 25-22.
SET 3 | Paris opened the third set with a kill to get Northwestern on the right foot, but the Badgers continued to apply pressure. A service ace from Gigi Navarrete tied the score up at 8-8, and Kauffman and Paris combined on a block that tied the set up again at 11-11. Wisconsin had a two-point advantage heading into the media timeout, but the 'Cats continued to fight. Northwestern pieced together a 6-0 run to go up by three and then kept rolling from there, forcing a Wisconsin timeout after extending the lead to five. A Paris kill brought the Wildcats to set point and they capitalized on a Wisconsin error to finish the job, taking set three 25-20.
SET 4 | Lauren Carter got the fourth set started with a strong performance from the service line, and the 'Cats quickly gained a two-point advantage. However, Wisconsin didn't go quietly, using plays on both offense and defense to tie the match up before back-to-back blocks gave them the lead, 7-5. Though the Badgers briefly extended their lead, a 4-0 Northwestern run culminating in a service ace from Carter knotted things up again at 11-all. From there, Wisconsin stretched its lead to as many as five points while the Wildcats battled to keep the match alive. After calling a timeout trailing 18-13, the 'Cats five of the next six points to draw within one. A pair of electric blocks from Kauffman energized the team heading into the final stretch, but in the end, it was Wisconsin who had the final say, taking set four 25-22 and winning the match 3-1.
Game Notes
- Northwestern's set-three victory broke a streak of 18 straight set wins for the Badgers. Prior to tonight's match, Wisconsin had not lost a set since November 5 against then-No. 22 Minnesota. The streak included five sweeps for the Badgers, including two against AVCA Top-25 teams.
- Sienna Noordermeer's double-double was the second of her season and the fourth of her career.
- Kayla Kauffman's seven-block performance matched her career-high for the seventh time this season. It brought her to 95 total rejections this season, which is the second-most by a Northwestern first-year in program history. She will enter play against Illinois just three blocks shy of tying the record.
- Lauren Carter tallied two aces tonight, bringing her season total to 46, which is the most by a Wildcat in a single season since 2003.
Up Next
The 'Cats will hit the road on Friday for their final match of the season, facing in-state rival Illinois in Champaign. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT on B1G+.
