The Purdue Northwest Volleyball team battled deep into four tight sets but came up short in the GLIAC Tournament Quarterfinals, falling to #18 and top-seeded Ferris State 3-1 on Wednesday night.

The Basics

• Records: Purdue Northwest (13-13, 7-9 GLIAC), #18 Ferris State (23-6, 14-3 GLIAC)
• Location: Ewigleben Sports Arena – Big Rapids, Mich.
• Attendance: 1,146

Inside The Numbers

• (24-26, 25-23, 16-25, 25-27)
• Junor Anika Huelskamp (Oxnard, Calif./Oxnard) powered Purdue Northwest with 15 kills and added 12 digs for a strong all-around performance.
• Senior Arra Cottrell (LeClaire, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) delivered 12 kills and three blocks while helping stabilize PNW's scoring in key stretches.
• Senior Allyson Cathey (New Albany, Ind./New Albany) added 10 kills and two blocks to round out a balanced PNW attack.
• Senior Marina Gronkiewicz (Munster, Ind./Munster) directed the offense with 41 assists while adding nine digs.
• Senior Livia Thomsen (Bettendorf, Iowa/Pleasant Valley) anchored the backcourt with a match-high 25 digs and served four aces to spark momentum swings.
• PNW totaled 54 kills and hit .168 as a team while adding seven aces and six blocks.
• Ferris State countered with 57 kills on .256 hitting and controlled the net with 14 blocks.
• The Bulldogs were led by Gabby Piazza's 20 kills and a dominant defensive presence from Lillian Peterson with nine blocks.
• Ferris State held narrow edges in digs (75-71) and total points (77.0-67.0).

The Breakdown

• Purdue Northwest came out strong in the opening set, hitting .208 and pushing Ferris State to the brink before the Bulldogs closed out a tight 26-24 finish.
• The Pride responded with one of their sharpest sets of the match, hitting .243 in the second while minimizing errors and outlasting Ferris State 25-23 to even the match.
• Ferris State seized momentum in the third, using a .344 hitting clip and a suffocating block to limit PNW to 10 kills and take a 25-16 decision.
• The fourth set developed into another thriller, with the Pride battling through long rallies and timely serving to force extra points.
• PNW's defense—led by Thomsen's back-row command and strong net play from Rowzee and Cottrell—kept the Pride alive late.
• Despite multiple surges from Purdue Northwest, Ferris State capitalized on extended-point opportunities and edged out a 27-25 final.
• Consistent setting from Gronkiewicz, aggressive serves from Thomsen, and steady scoring from Huelskamp and Cottrell kept the Pride competitive throughout the match.
• In the end, Ferris State's depth at the net and efficiency in high-pressure moments proved to be the deciding factors.