The Purdue Northwest Volleyball team battled Northern Michigan in a hard-fought GLIAC opener Friday night at the Fitness and Recreation Center, ultimately falling to the Wildcats, 3-1.
The Basics
- Records: Purdue Northwest (2-6, 0-1 GLIAC), Northern Michigan (4-5, 1-0 GLIAC)
- Location: Fitness and Recreation Center – Hammond, Ind.
- Attendance: 100
Inside The Numbers
(25-20, 17-25, 25-27, 22-25)
- Senior Anika Huelskamp led the Lions offensively with nine kills, while senior Katrina Soto and sophomore Chloe Deckard each added eight kills.
- Sophomore Delanie Voss provided an efficient offensive performance with seven kills while hitting .412.
- Junior Kennedy Rowzee paced PNW at the net with four blocks, while Huelskamp and freshman Ainsley Johnson each added two.
- Freshman Addison Smith directed the Lions' offense with 21 assists, while Deckard contributed 13 and freshman Giana Frayer added five.
- Huelskamp led the Lions defensively with 14 digs, while Smith followed with 13 and Frayer recorded nine.
- Huelskamp, Deckard and freshman Cecelia Goode each recorded one service ace.
- Purdue Northwest totaled 49 kills, five aces, six blocks and 69 digs while hitting .196 as a team.
- Northern Michigan was led offensively by Anna O'Keefe with 12 kills, while KC Fortune added 10 and Laynie Russell finished with nine.
- Allie Barlow directed the Wildcats' offense with 45 assists, while Liesl Haugen added six.
- Haugen led Northern Michigan with 16 digs, while Fortune added 15 and Olivia Ziemer contributed 13.
- Northern Michigan finished with 55 kills, 10 aces, seven blocks and 68 digs while hitting .209.
The Breakdown
- Purdue Northwest came out strong in the opening set, recording 12 kills while hitting .154 to take a 25-20 victory.
- Northern Michigan answered in the second set, hitting .276 with 11 kills while holding the Lions to a .088 hitting percentage as the Wildcats evened the match with a 25-17 win.
- The third set featured a back-and-forth battle, with both teams trading runs throughout the frame.
- PNW produced its most efficient offensive performance of the night in the third set, recording 12 kills while hitting .300.
- The Lions pushed the Wildcats to extra points in the third set, but Northern Michigan ultimately prevailed, 27-25, to take a 2-1 match lead.
- PNW continued to battle in the fourth set, recording 14 kills and hitting .250.
- Northern Michigan matched the Lions with 14 kills in the final frame and held on for a 25-22 victory to secure the 3-1 decision.
- The Lions finished with 49 kills compared to Northern Michigan's 55, while PNW held a slight 69-68 advantage in digs.
- Northern Michigan held the edge in service aces, 10-5, and blocks, 7-6.
- PNW's .196 team hitting percentage was just behind Northern Michigan's .209 mark.
- Voss provided an efficient offensive effort, finishing with seven kills on 17 attacks while hitting .412.
- Huelskamp contributed across multiple areas with nine kills, 14 digs and four block assists.
- Rowzee anchored the Lions' blocking effort with four total blocks, while Johnson and Huelskamp each added two.
- Smith finished with 21 assists and 13 digs, recording a double-double in the GLIAC opener.
- Deckard added eight kills, 13 assists and one ace while Frayer contributed five assists and nine digs.
- Despite the setback, the Lions battled throughout all four sets, including a closely contested third set that went beyond 25 points.
Up Next
- Purdue Northwest continues GLIAC play Saturday, September 12, hosting Davenport. Game time is set for 2:00 PM CT at the H.D. Kesling Gymnasium on the Westville Campus in Westville, Indiana.
