WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Northwestern volleyball (7-14, 0-10 B1G) fell 3-0 to the No. 12 Purdue Boilermakers (13-6, 6-4 B1G) at Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon, dropping a 25-20, 25-22, 25-15 match on the road.
Bella Bullington led the team with 12 kills, while Campbell Paris hit an efficient .412, collecting nine kills compared to just two errors. Ellie Stiernagle tied for the team lead in digs with 10 while collecting 30 assists to secure her sixth double-double of the season.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Bullington picked up Northwestern’s first two points of the match on a pair of kills, part of a back-and-forth start to the first set. The teams remained within two points of each other, tying three times, before Purdue finally gained a little breathing room with a 10-7 advantage. While the Boilermakers retained the lead throughout the set, the ‘Cats kept it close, drawing as near as within two points at 22-20 before Purdue eventually closed out the 25-20 victory.
SET 2 | Set two was even closer, featuring 16 ties and three lead changes. A pair of kills from Gabrielle Gerry highlighted the first portion of the set as the ‘Cats maintained a narrow lead over Purdue. The Boilermakers wouldn’t gain their first advantage in the set until a third of the way through, at 8-7. Purdue maintained the lead from there, but never by more than two points, until the ‘Cats tied things up once again at 18-18 on another kill from Gerry. A timely block by Stiernagle and Gerry gave the ‘Cats the lead back, but Purdue responded late with offense from all sides. The Boilermakers won five of the last seven points to take set two, 25-22.
SET 3 | The third set was another close affair early. Back-to-back kills from Mara Štiglic gave Northwestern a 5-2 lead, but Purdue once again had a response. After taking an 8-7 lead on a Northwestern error, the Boilermakers were off to the races. They hit .433 as a team in the third set, using 15 kills, three blocks and two aces to roll to a 25-15 victory and a 3-0 sweep of the match.
Game Notes
- Drew Wright matched Stiernagle with 10 digs, her seventh double-digit performance of the season.
- Stiernagle’s 30 assists against the Boilermakers bumped her season total past 700, making her just the eighth first-year to reach that mark in Division I volleyball this season.
- Gerry matched her career high with six kills on .455 hitting.