Volleyball

Northwestern found itself on the wrong side of a 3-0 match yet again Friday.

The matchup against No. 9 Ohio State (15-2, 4-1 Big Ten) marked the third-straight game in which the Wildcats (10-6, 2-3) have been swept. Additionally, it was NU’s seventh consecutive match that lasted only three games.

Over their past three contests, all against ranked opponents, the Cats have scored more than 20 points in a set just twice, both against No. 16 Minnesota last week. Coach Keylor Chan was frustrated after the game about the number of close plays that didn’t fall NU’s way.

“We want to win, just like anyone else,” Chan said. “It’s a process, and as unfortunate as the loss is, you can’t get caught up into letting that carry over.”

The stark differences between two Cats’ hitters told the story on Friday. Junior Maddie Slater, who won her first Big Ten player of the Week award last month, continued her hot streak by converting 13 kills against the Buckeyes. Meanwhile, sophomore Symone Abbott dropped eight kills but committed six errors on 29 attempts, good for only a .069 hitting percentage.

Things won’t get any easier for NU, as they take on defending national champion No. 3 Penn State (15-1, 4-1) on Saturday at 7 p.m. However, Chan isn’t worried about the Cats’ diminishing prospects this season.

“Tomorrow we wake up and start again,” Chan said.

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