MUNCIE, Ind. - Mara Štiglic contributed a career-high 22 kills as Northwestern volleyball (6-4) defeated Ball State (8-2) in four sets on Thursday evening in the opening match of the Ball State Tournament. The ‘Cats downed the Cardinals 25-17, 22-25, 26-24, 25-23 to capture their sixth win of the season.
In addition to the offense, Štiglic collected 14 digs for her first double-double of the season and the fourth of her career. Bella Bullington also set a season high with 17 kills, falling one shy of her career mark, while Lauren Dignan’s team-high 22 digs were good for her second straight 20-dig match.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The ‘Cats got out to an early one-set lead behind 11 combined kills from Štiglic and Bullington. Despite the strong attacking, the first set was tight in its first half. After Ball State knotted things up at 13 - the tenth tie of the set - the ‘Cats finally gained a little separation out of the media break. A 7-0 run with Dignan serving grew Northwestern’s lead to 20-13, and though the Cardinals tried to claw back, the Wildcats retained their lead through the end, winning 25-17.
SET 2 | Ball State then evened the match up with a 25-22 win in set two. It was once again a close set, featuring 17 total ties, beginning at 4-4 and lasting as late as 22-22. Following a .163 attacking performance in the first set, the Cardinals improved to .344 in the second set to help boost them to victory.
SET 3 | Northwestern started strong in the third set, running off three straight points and leading by as many as six before the media break, 8-2. Ball State once again battled, but the Wildcats once again came out on top, 26-24. In the end, back-to-back kills from Bullington and Štiglic sealed the deal, delivering the match lead back to Northwestern, 2-1. Bullington, Štiglic and Campbell Paris all collected five or more kills in the set.
SET 4 | The match concluded with a 25-23 third-set victory for the ‘Cats. Štiglic capped off her career night with seven kills in the final frame, pairing it with two assists and a block to lead the Wildcats with a dominant all-around performance. Northwestern’s defense came up big in the fourth set, registering four blocks, including two in the last three points. Ellie Stiernagle was the one to deliver match point, registering her ninth service ace of the season to wrap up the 3-1 ‘Cats win.
Game Notes
- Northwestern hit .340 as a team, its best attack percentage of the season.
- Dignan has now logged back-to-back 20-dig matches, the third and fourth of her career.
- First-year Hayley Schaaf tied for the team lead with a career-high four blocks.
- Stiernagle’s 55 assists were the most by a Northwestern player in a single match since February 2021, when Alexa Rousseau collected 55 against Iowa.
- Štiglic’s 22 kills marked a career high, surpassing her previous best of 21, which she set last season while playing for Utah State. She also matched her career high with 16 digs, good for her first double-double of the season.