Northwestern got off to hot starts in its two games this weekend. The Wildcats played each opening set close – even against the seemingly unbeatable Nittany Lions – but failed to follow up on their pregame enthusiasm.
Despite badly needing a victory, NU let a 2-1 lead slip away in a 3-2 loss to Indiana on Friday. No. 1 Penn State swept NU on Saturday after two close sets to start the match.
The Cats took no comfort in losing to the Hoosiers in five closely contested sets and playing the unbeaten Nittany Lions closer than many teams have this season.
Against Indiana, NU (7-14, 1-9 Big Ten) again had trouble maintaining the lead through the last two sets.
“In a game this contested, it all came down to execution,” coach Keylor Chan said. “It takes great effort to get a great win.”
The Cats came out strong in the first set, trailing the Hoosiers for most of the set until a block by junior outside hitter Ariel Baxterbeck and sophomore middle blocker Sabel Moffett gave the team a 23-22 lead it would not lose. But the second set would go to Indiana, 25-23.
The third set was a test in perseverance, with the teams finding themselves tied at 20. Neither NU nor Indiana (12-10, 4-6) were able to gain a significant lead.
A timeout by the Hoosiers with the Cats leading 24-23 took away NU’s momentum for the match point. But after sophomore outside hitter Brittani Gray’s kill tied the game at 27, the Hoosiers could not answer back. Two consecutive blocks by Moffett and Naomi Johnson would give the Cats the win.
But despite Baxterbeck’s career-high 16 kills and 16 digs, the next two sets and the match went to Indiana.
“We’re pretty upset by the loss,” Baxterbeck said. “It’s frustrating to play that close and not pull through. It’s disappointing.”
The Nittany Lions (22-0, 10-0), who have not lost a single set this season, swept the Cats the following night.
NU started the first set with no fear, playing Penn State close until a kill by Christa Harmotto gave the unbeaten team a 14-12 lead, taking momentum from NU.
“Our goal was to come out and play good volleyball and to show we can play with the best of the best,” junior libero Kate Nobilio said. “But we could have come out with more of an attitude.”
Led by senior middle blocker Chelsy Hyser’s five second-set kills, NU once again kept the set close during the first half. But with five ties and only two lead changes, Penn State dominated and won 25-17. The Nittany Lions completed the sweep with a 25-14 third-set win.
But playing Penn State close does not make the loss any easier. Despite being below .500 for the season, the Cats’ goal is still to win, even when facing the No. 1 team.
“Our expectations are to compete at this level,” Chan said. “They definitely deserved to win, but it does not change the fact that we want to win. We still fell short of our goals.”
