WASHINGTON, D.C. - Northwestern volleyball dropped a five-set match to the American University Eagles on Saturday afternoon on Barry Goldberg Court, falling 3-2 (22-25, 25-21, 20-25, 25-19, 15-12).
For the second night in a row, the ‘Cats received double-digit scoring performances from three of their outside hitters. Campbell Paris and Bella Bullington led the charge with 15 apiece while Mara Štiglic finished with 14. Ellie Stiernagle made it two double-doubles in two days with a team-high 43 assists and 12 digs, while Maya Stillwell continued the strong defensive start to her career with six more blocks.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Northwestern captured the first lead of the match with a 25-22 victory in set one. The teams were evenly matched in the early going, with neither side gaining a lead of more than a single point until an American attack error put Northwestern up 11-9. A short surge by the Eagles gave them a 14-12 advantage, but Northwestern rallied for a 5-0 run, regaining the lead 17-14. The ‘Cats would keep that lead to the end, winning the match’s first set 25-22. Stillwell led the charge early with four kills and two blocks in the first set.
SET 2 | The Eagles evened things up with a set two victory, winning 25-21. After a back-and-forth start, American opened things up with a 5-0 run to gain a 7-3 lead they would not relinquish. An ace from Lily Wagner briefly tied things back up at 12, but American regained the advantage again soon after. Despite a late effort from the ‘Cats, the Eagles tied things up.
SET 3 | A monster performance on the attacking side boosted Northwestern to a third-set win, with the team collecting 19 kills. The effort was led by Paris and Bullington, who racked up six apiece. Štiglic also contributed with a perfect four-for-four performance on top of a block assist. While the set was closely contested early on, the ‘Cats took over late, winning nine of the final 13 points to wrap up a 25-20 victory.
SET 4 | Despite a 4-0 start for the Wildcats in set four, American brought the match even once again with a comeback win in set four. After American earned their first lead of the set, 8-7, the ‘Cats grabbed it back, 12-11. That would be Northwestern’s final lead of the set, however, as American took control and cruised to a 25-19 victory.
SET 5 | Paris opened the fifth set with a block, then two kills from Bullington gave the ‘Cats a narrow 3-2 lead. Three straight kills from the Eagles flipped the scoreboard, however, putting American up 6-4. Despite four kills from Štiglic in the set, American outhit Northwestern, registering 10 kills to help them to 15 points first. A 15-12 victory in set five secured the 3-2 match victory for American.
Game Notes
- First-year setter Ellie Stiernagle recorded her second straight double-double with 43 assists and 12 digs. The 43 assists matched Northwestern’s high by a setter last year; Lauren Carter had 43 against Valparaiso in September of 2025.
- Northwestern’s first-years accounted for 19 of the team’s 63 kills.
- Kaitlyn Bodnar and Clara Schramm both made their collegiate debuts, Bodnar recording three assists in two sets of action and Schramm chipping in her first career kill.
Up Next
The 'Cats wrap up their opening road trip tomorrow afternoon at Georgetown. Northwestern will take on the Hoyas at 1 p.m. CT on ESPN+.