After a heated back-and-forth exchange of points in the first three sets Sunday, Northwestern had finally reached match point in the fourth, leading by two sets to one. The score was 24-22, Wildcats (11-3, 1-1 Big Ten).
All eyes were on junior libero Drew Wright as she served the point that could close out the ’Cats’ first Big Ten victory of the season. Attention shifted as the ball she served soared well beyond the net and over the Ducks’ (9-3, 0-2 Big Ten) heads. Out.
Wright’s service error came on the first of the four match points that would conclude the set. After a quick NU timeout, Oregon was able to block an attack by senior outside hitter Rylen Reid, denying NU its second opportunity to seal the match and tying the score 24-24.
On NU’s third and fourth match points of the set, Ducks outside hitter Valentina Vaulet delivered kills to keep the visitors alive. An ace on Oregon’s second set point wrapped up the set.
After coming back from two-sets-to-none down and saving five match points to level the match, all the momentum stood on the Ducks’ side. But the ’Cats dug deep, regaining their best form in the fifth set en route to a rollercoaster 25-22, 25-21, 24-26, 27-29, 15-10 victory.
“It’s good to get one under your belt,” second-year coach Tim Nollan said postgame. “They always say the first one’s the hardest one, so now we’ve got this one out of the way.”
Junior outside hitter Campbell Paris scored the first point of the match for NU with a decisive kill, but from there the set devolved into a series of scrappy rallies, with the ’Cats and the Ducks trading off on short runs.
The end of the first set was marked by timeouts as each team experienced serving and serve receive errors that kept them close. At game point, with NU leading 24-22, Oregon used its final timeout before hitting the ball out of bounds after freshman libero Lauren Dignan served. The ’Cats won the opener 25-22.
NU returned Oregon’s first serve of set 2 with a kill by graduate student middle blocker Bella Simkus. After each team went on a three-point run, an ace by Oregon opposite Alanah Clemente tied the game 7-7.
After two service errors and two more kills from Ducks outside hitter Sophia Meyers, the score held tied at 9-9 before two key blocks by Paris and freshman middle blocker Kayla Kauffman, as well as a kill by fellow freshman outside hitter Bella Bullington.
Graduate student outside hitter Ayah Elnady fought Vaulet’s kill and block with two kills of her own, bringing the game to a tense 21-21. After NU senior outside hitter Kathryn Randorf joined the game to serve, a bad set by Oregon’s setter, junior Cora Taylor, meant victory for the ’Cats in set 2.
Another back-and-forth point exchange began the third set, with an unorthodox underhand slap play by Oregon and a net violation by NU only adding to the scrappy feel of the set.
At set point, with Oregon leading 24-23, NU called a timeout, before an Oregon service error leveled the score. However, a tricky setter dump by Oregon and a decisive block touch on the Ducks’ second set point clinched a 26-24 set.
Set 4 presented another opportunity for a ’Cats win, and both teams looked strong as the score climbed in roughly two point bursts from each throughout the game. Nollan said Oregon’s service pressure helped them claw back from two sets down to force a fifth and that he told his team to hit the reset button entering the final set.
“We decided to get back to controlling our side a little bit better and going back to executing the simple things,” said Nollan.
The fifth set came as a relief, to the fans and to the players, no doubt exhausted after two hours of seesaw scores. Beginning with a clean ace from Elnady, a short exchange ensued until a series of errors, in addition to three well-placed kills — two by Bullington, one by Elnady — forced an Oregon timeout as NU settled into a comfortable lead at 9-4.
Though the Ducks came back from their timeout with a powerful point, they also granted the ’Cats an immediate side-out through a service error by Clemente. Though Oregon challenged, the call was again confirmed.
Another kill from Elnady, her 16th and final of the game, prompted another Oregon timeout, with NU ahead 11-5. Despite two more Oregon kills from middle blocker Holley McFadden and Clemente, NU took the set and the match with a kill by Bullington.
Nollan credited a combination of strong blocking and an effective attack line with the win.
“I’m proud of our blockers. Registering 11 blocks against a really physical attacking team, you know, Oregon gets after you from the service line,” Nollan said.
Nollan said he was happy with the team’s attacking statistics, with 60 kills, 14 errors, 132 attacks and a .348 hitting percentage, calling it a “great attack line.”
While Nollan commended all three regular-playing freshmen on their contributions to the team thus far, he said Bullington was a standout player in the afternoon’s game with a .500 hitting percentage.
“I’m always swinging as hard as I can,” said Bullington. “I know who I am and I know that I can play at high levels.”
Both Nollan and Bullington said they are looking forward to bringing a strong attacking line to Friday’s game against Michigan State, as well as building on consistent blocking.
To Nollan and the program as a whole, this win is a crucial one.
“We have big dreams of going to the NCAA tournament this year,” Nollan said. “These are the matches we need to accomplish that.”
Email: KatieWhitaker2029@u.northwestern.edu
Related Stories:
— Volleyball: Northwestern drops Big Ten opener to Indiana in four sets
— Volleyball: Northwestern breezes past Campbell to close out non-conference slate
