Northwestern
6-1,0-0Big Ten
Buffalo
2-3,0-0MAC
'Cats Defeat Buffalo in Five Sets to Open Buffalo Classic
9/12/2025 7:36:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
BUFFALO, N.Y. -- Northwestern volleyball opened its East Coast road trip with a second straight five-set victory, defeating the Buffalo Bulls 3-2 on Friday at Alumni Arena.
The non-conference victory moved the Wildcats' overall record to 6-1 on the season.
Northwestern's offense was paced by first-year Bella Bullington, who hit .250 and finished with a career-high 17 kills on the day. Ayah Elnady added 15 kills as well, and Rylen Reid chipped in with 14 as part of balanced Northwestern attack. The 'Cats were also effective from the service line, with both Drew Wright and Lily Wagner collecting three aces apiece to help the team to victory.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Wildcats endured a back-and-forth first set to win 28-26 in a stanza that featured five lead changes and was tied 11 times. Neither team led by more than four points in the match. The Wildcat attack was lethal in the first frame, with 21 of 28 points coming via the kill. Bella Bullington accounted for seven of the 21 to lead the team.
SET 2 | Northwestern lost set two 25-14 to tie the match 1-1. Buffalo grabbed the advantage for good at 6-5 and never looked back.
SET 3 | Northwestern bounced back after the second-set loss to grab set three and a 2-1 lead in the match. The Wildcats scored first and never trailed in the set to earn a 25-11 victory. Northwestern ended on a high note, claiming its biggest lead, 14 points, to finish off the set. The Northwestern offense got a boost from seven aces in the stanza, three of which came in one service run from Lily Wagner.
SET 4 | Northwestern couldn't finish off a four-set win as the Bulls forced a fifth set with a 25-20 victory. The Wildcats trailed by as many as six points as Buffalo grabbed the advantage for good at 18-17 and Northwestern was never able to recover in a set that was knotted up five times before the Bulls took over in the second half.
SET 5 | Northwestern closed out the victory late, taking set five to win the match. The Bulls controlled the first half, maintaining a three-point lead for most of the set until Northwestern went on a 4-1 run to tie the frame at ten apiece. An ace from Drew Wright then put the 'Cats on top, and they muscled their way to a 15-13 victory in the set, giving them a 3-2 win in the match.
Game Notes
» Northwestern had three players in double figures in kills for the second straight match.
» Lily Wagner's three aces were a career high.
» Bella Bullington had a team-high 17 kills for Northwestern, the second double-digit performance of her career.
» Sienna Noordermeer notched the third double-double of her career with 13 digs and 34 assists, both of which were team highs.
» Northwestern racked up 11 service aces as a team, good for the 'Cats' third double-digit team performance of the season in that category.
Up Next
The 'Cats will continue their weekend in Buffalo tomorrow, when they take on Niagara and Cornell in a doubleheader. First serve against the Purple Eagles is scheduled for 9 a.m. CT, with the match against the Big Red to follow at 3 p.m. CT. Both matches will be streamed on YouTube.
