HAMMOND, Ind. – Purdue Northwest volleyball nearly pulled out its first win Saturday afternoon in a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference thriller against Northwood. The Pride led 2-1 in the match but fell in five sets as the Timberwolves edged out a 16-14 victory in the deciding set.
 
PNW (0-10) won the first and third sets by final scores of 25-17 and 25-10, while Northwood (8-4) claimed the second and fourth frames 25-13 and 25-16.
 
After Northwood rallied to force a fifth set, the Pride jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the deciding period on a pair of aces recorded by Abigail Negri and a kill by Bryanna Moonen.
 
Moonen led the Pride with a season-high 13 kills while Negri dished out a season-best 23 assists with three aces.
 
PNW moved ahead 10-8 in the final set, but the Timberwolves rattled off four points in a row to regain the lead. The Pride were knocking on the door again down the final stretch, tying the score twice, but couldn't string together back-to-back points. Northwood sealed the win on a kill and PNW attack error.
 
Saturday's heartbreaker was the first five-set match of the season for the Pride.
 
Kenzie Duggan produced nine kills, 12 digs and three aces while Erica Brohm logged nine kills, five block assists and two block solos. Autumn Beaudoin also helped lead the way with seven kills and 11 digs.
 
Additionally, Danielle Fowler recorded a team-high 16 digs while Holly Faley (9) and Summer Clark (8) were effective on defense. Faley also handed out 16 assists.
 
PNW had nine aces and 13 total blocks on the afternoon. The Pride hit .173 overall as a team, while posting a match-high .360 team hitting percentage in the third set.

PNW's 15-point victory in the third frame is its highest margin of victory in a set against a GLIAC opponent since joining the conference in 2017.
 
NEXT UP
PNW will close out the regular season at home against Grand Valley State on Friday-Saturday, April 2-3.