AUSTIN, Texas – The Purdue University Northwest women's volleyball team fell in their final two matches at the Hilltopper Invite hosted by St. Edward's University.

MATCH 1: CSU-PUEBLO 3, PNW 2

PNW battled throughout the entire match, trading sets with CSU-Pueblo, but the ThunderWolves would answer back in the end of the fifth set to win it 15-13.

Freshman Annie Pulizos (Greendale, Wis./Greendale) led the way for the Black and Gold with 17 kills and just one error leading to a .444 attack percentage.

Jenna Dal Santo (St. John, Ind./Andrean) would record a double-double, tallying 11 kills and 10 digs while her sister Christina Dal Santo notched a team-high 24 digs to round out the leaders for the Pride.

After the ThunderWolves took the first set 25-19, the Pride jumped out strong to take an 11-7 advantage before coming away with the Set 2 win, 25-19 to even the score at one set a piece. 

CSU would win the third set 25-20, but the Pride stayed resilient, coming back and dominating the fourth set.

PNW rattled off a huge run jumping out to an 18-6 lead late in the set, before a kill from Jenna Dal Santo closed it out, 25-11, sending the match to its fifth set. 

The Black and Gold rattled off five unanswered points midway through Set 5, with back-to back kills from Jenna Pasko (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) and Jenna Dal Santo put the Pride ahead 10-5.

The ThunderWolves would answer to even the score at 10-10 followed by both teams trading points including a kill from Pulizos which tied the set at 13-13. 

CSU would come away with the final two points of the set and earn the five-set victory over the Pride.

Match Two: SEU 3, PNW 0

Jenna Pasko tallied nine kills and senior Morgan Spencer (Oswego, Ill./Aurora Central Catholic) hit an impressive .333, but the Pride lost in straight sets to the tournament host St. Edwards University in their final match of the Hilltopper Invite.

Despite three kills apiece from Annie Pulizos and Jenna Pasko, the Pride dropped the first set of their second match of the day 25-16 on a PNW attack error.

PNW was unable to overcome the Hilltopper attack, and lost both the second and third sets (25-13, 25-17) to end the match.

Junior setter Brooke Ahrens (Covington, Ind./Covington) was named to the Hilltopper classic all-tournament team. 

The Black and Gold return to action Friday, Sep. 7, when they travel to Midland, Mich. for its first Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference match with Northwood University at 6 pm (CST).