How It Happened
SET 1 | Though the first set remained close through most of the action, Northwestern maintained the lead for the majority; the Bulldogs’ only advantage came on the set’s first point. After Butler opened action with a kill to go up 1-0, Northwestern ran off three straight points to take a lead they’d never give back. Paris and Bullington scored first, setting the tone for the rest of the frame: Bullington would rack up seven kills by the end of the set, while Paris and Štiglic contributed four apiece. The ‘Cats limited Butler to a .194 attack percentage in the set, while hitting over .300 themselves. In the end, Štiglic sealed the 25-21 victory with a kill to put the ‘Cats up 1-0 in the match.
SET 2 | Set two went Butler’s way, with the Bulldogs taking a 25-19 win to even the match up at one set each. The ‘Cats opened the frame with a 5-0 run, but the Bulldogs battled back to even the set up at 13-13. From there, they’d lead to the end, using 19 team kills to help themselves to the set-two victory.
SET 3 | The ‘Cats bounced back in set three, capitalizing on Butler errors while playing clean volleyball themselves to grab the lead back in the match, 2-1. Back-to-back aces from Drew Wright highlighted a 5-0 ‘Cats run to stretch their early lead to 9-5. Then, a balanced Northwestern offense kept growing the lead throughout the second half of the set, eventually claiming a 25-17 win.
SET 4 | Five Wildcats tallied three or more kills in the match’s final set to help Northwestern wrap up the home victory. Paris got the scoring started, then Štiglic took over, grabbing three kills in the set’s first ten points to put the ‘Cats up 7-3. After Butler clawed back to take an 11-10 lead, Bullington evened things up at 11 and then 12 with her 14th and 15th kills of the evening. From there, the ‘Cats never trailed again, using four blocks in the second half of the set to maintain control. Kayla Kauffman closed things out, tucking a kill inside the line to secure a 25-20 set-four victory and a 3-1 win in the Wildcats’ home opener.
Game Notes
- Gigi Navarrete tallied the ninth double-digit dig match of her career and her first of the season, grabbing 12 in the match.
- Maya Stillwell led the team with three blocks while hitting a blistering .700 en route to seven kills against the Bulldogs.
- Stiernagle’s 48 assists were the most by a Wildcat in a single match since November 17, 2023, when Alexa Rousseau tallied 51 in a 3-1 victory over Rutgers.
- Wright served up three aces in the win, bringing her to six on the season.
Up Next
The 'Cats continue their homestand this weekend, when Northwestern is set to host the Northwestern Invitational at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The four-team event will include neutral site matches between visiting teams, who will also each face off with the hosting Wildcats. First up for Northwestern is a meeting with Virginia Tech on Friday at 7 p.m. CT. Action will be streamed on B1G+.
