Headed to Michigan State for its penultimate regular season match, Northwestern failed to overcome an aggressive opponent and self-inflicted errors.

The Wildcats (5-22, 3-16 Big Ten) beat the Spartans (13-17, 6-13 Big Ten) in East Lansing last season but fell in four sets Wednesday.

Despite the loss, graduate student setter Alexa Rousseau achieved her second triple-double of the season, with 15 kills, 16 assists and 10 digs. She also logged four blocks. Redshirt sophomore setter Sienna Noordermeer logged 15 assists, graduate student middle blocker Sophia Summers earned nine blocks and sophomore libero Drew Wright notched 19 digs.

The first set started evenly, with junior outside hitter Buse Hazan leading the ’Cats’ attack with three kills to force the score to 11-11. Numerous attack errors then plagued NU, allowing Michigan State to go on a 6-0 scoring run. Although multiple Spartan errors helped keep the ’Cats in the set, NU’s offense simmered as Michigan State claimed the first set 25-16.

The ’Cats got out to a hot start in the second set on the back of two service aces from junior outside hitter Rylen Reid, taking an early 4-1 lead. However, the Spartans answered back, taking a 14-13 lead after NU committed three service errors. Rousseau’s six kills and a block by Summers and junior outside hitter Kathryn Randorf kept the set close, but Michigan State took the second set 25-22.

After a close start to the third set, Michigan State grabbed the lead, but three early kills from Randorf helped keep NU competitive. After going down 13-7, the ’Cats ventured on a 6-0 run headed by a kill and two block assists from Summers. The back-and-forth play continued in the middle of the set, with the teams trading points to a 23-23 tie. After surviving four match points, a Rousseau kill and a Spartan attack error gave NU a hard-fought set win, 31-29.

The errors resurfaced for the ’Cats in the fourth set, but despite that, the score remained close for the beginning of the set. Michigan State began a 10-2 scoring run, and from there, the match was all but finished.NU dropped its final point of the game on a service error, representative of the ’Cats’ struggles throughout the game. NU put up little resistance in the fourth set as it lost 25-12, sealing the defeat.

The ’Cats face Michigan in their final regular season game on Friday.

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