Northwestern put up a fight against No. 10 Purdue but ultimately lost in four sets Friday at Welsh-Ryan Arena.
The Wildcats (3-9, 1-3 Big Ten) couldn’t extend their battle with the Boilermakers (11-4, 3-1 Big Ten) despite a close final set. After losing the first set, Purdue won the next three 25-20, 25-16, 29-27.
From the opening serve, the ’Cats kept up with Purdue’s defense, holding multiple advantages throughout the first set.
NU held the largest lead, just three points — pulling ahead 7-4 after a 3-0 run against the Boilermakers. Despite their low hitting percentage of .226, the ’Cats’ offense came ready to play early in the game, clinching a 25-23 first-set victory.
The second set mimicked the first set as NU kicked off the second set with a quick 3-0 run, holding the lead 5-2.
However, Purdue quickly revived its offense. The Boilermakers’ defense held up against some big hits from the ’Cats. Ultimately, Purdue took the set 25-20.
The visitors shot out of a cannon in the third set, taking a 16-7 lead. Once the Boilermaker offense kicked into drive, NU couldn’t seem to match it, only putting up one block and no service aces. The ’Cats tried to chip away to no avail, falling 25-16.
NU secured the fourth set’s first point. Unlike the previous set, this frame remained much tighter, with both teams trading points. After a few powerful kills from Purdue, the Boilermakers edged ahead 11-7, but NU remained resilient. A couple of errors by Purdue, along with sharp kills from Buse Hazan, brought the ’Cats back into contention, narrowing the gap to 12-11.
As the set progressed, NU kept up with Purdue, eventually taking a narrow 20-19 lead. A crucial block assist by junior outside hitter Rylen Reid pushed her squad ahead 23-21 in what had become a win-or-go-home scenario for the ’Cats.
On NU’s first set point, Purdue responded with a swift kill, closing the gap to 24-23. What followed was a high-stakes back-and-forth, but in the end, the ’Cats fell short, losing the set 29-27 and the match to Purdue.
“Stringing a few really good plays together was really helpful and really relieving, and helped us refocus our attention on our main goal, which is to stay in it and win because we love going to fifth sets,” graduate student setter Alexa Rousseau said.
After a standout triple-double performance in the ’Cats Big Ten opener, Rousseau once again led Northwestern’s offense earning her seventh double-double this season with 11 kills and 17 assists.
“We understand that every night is an opportunity to beat a ranked team, so I think we’ve been adjusting really well,” Rousseau said.
The ’Cats will be back in action Thursday, when they’ll host Ohio State.
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