EVANSTON, Ill. – The Northwestern volleyball team battled to a 3-2 (29-27, 20-25, 25-23, 23-25, 6-15) defeat to No. 4 Nebraska on Sunday at Welsh-Ryan Arena. A volleyball WRA record 4,019 fans were in attendance.
The loss dropped Northwestern’s record to 17-9 overall and 6-8 in Big Ten action, while the Cornhuskers improved to 21-2 and 13-1 in Big Ten play.
Temi Thomas-Ailara posted a season-high 26 kills on a .333 hitting percentage to lead Northwestern’s attack. Hannah Lesiak posted 15 kills and Desiree Becker had 10 to join her in double figures. On the defensive end, Ellee Stinson chipped in with 13 digs to go with five blocks from Becker.
Game Notes
» Hanna Lesiak registered a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs
» Temi Thomas-Ailara had a match-high 26 kills, recording 11 in the first set. She logged her fourth 20+ kill match of the year.
» Northwestern attackers were helped by a match-high 44 assists from Sienna Noordermeer.
» NU dropped its first five set match of the year (3-1).
» The ‘Cats totaled 59 kills, the third-most allowed by Nebraska this year.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Wildcats took the first set 29-27 thanks to a strong performance on the attacking side. Northwestern registered a .344 attack percentage with 18 kills in the set victory. The Wildcats opened up a 14-8 lead in the stanza and traded extra points before claiming the set.
SET 2 | Northwestern then lost the second set 25-20, tying the match at a set apiece. The Wildcats trailed by as many as eight points as Nebraska grabbed the advantage for good at 6-5 in a set that was tied up four times before the Cornhuskers took over the lead.
SET 3 | Northwestern then got back on the winning track, emerging victorious in set three and taking a two sets to one lead in the match. The Wildcats took the lead for good at 17-16 in a set that showcased four lead changes before Northwestern took over in the second half of the stanza. They then carried that lead to a 25-23 set win.
SET 4 | Northwestern couldn’t finish off a four-set win as the Cornhuskers forced a fifth set with a 25-23 victory. The Wildcats dropped a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured four lead changes and was tied six times….
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Northwestern University Athletics…