Indiana University
Northwestern
Hoosiers Secure Five Set Win at Northwestern
10/26/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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Site: Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.) Score: Indiana 3, Illinois 2 Records: IU (13-9, 4-6 Big Ten), Northwestern (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten) Next IU Game: Wednesday, Oct. 29 -- vs. Minnesota (Bloomington, Ind.), 7 p.m. ET Related Links: Box Score |
EVANSTON, Ill. – Down 10-6 in the decisive fifth set, the Indiana volleyball team rallied to score nine of the next 12 points to win the fifth set and take the match 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 26-28, 25-23, 15-13) at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Saturday.
Four Hoosiers registered double-digit kills, led by junior middle blocker Awele Nwaeze with a career-high 17. Junior Amelia Anderson and sophomore Taylor Lebo each posted double-doubles, Anderson with 11 kills and 13 digs and Lebo with 13 kills and 11 digs.
Junior libero Courtney Harnish tallied 23 digs and sophomore setters Megan Tallman and Makayla Lundin posted 34 and 24 assists respectively.
The Hoosiers had 12 blocks as a team with three players who posted at least five stuffs. Nwaeze and sophomore Jazzmine McDonald led the Hoosiers with six blocks and Anderson tallied five blocks for the match.
The Hoosiers (13-9, 4-6 Big Ten) won their fourth Big Ten match, their most conference wins since the 2010 season.
Senior Morgan Leach got the Hoosiers off to a strong start in set one with five kills on seven attempts to hit .571. Northwestern came back to win sets two and three, setting up a must win fourth set for IU.
In the fourth set five different players recorded at least one kill, led by Lebo with four kills on five attempts. The fourth set went back and fourth with 10 ties as the Hoosiers went up two at 20-18 on a kill from Nwaeze. Kills by Nwaeze and Anderson put IU up 23-20, but Northwestern (13-8, 3-7 Big Ten) scored three quick points to tie the set at 23-23. McDonald slammed down a kill and a Northwestern attack error gave the Hoosiers the set victory and sent the match to a winner take all fifth set.
In the fifth set it was the senior Leach, who again stepped up with four kills on six attempts, hitting at a .667 percentage. With the score tied 5-5, Northwestern got a kill, combined with two IU attack errors to go up 8-5 and eventually 10-6.
After the Hoosiers called a timeout they went on a 4-0, ending on a kill from Leach to tie the set 10-10. The set would again be tied 12-12 when another kill by Leach and a Northwestern attack error put the Hoosiers up 14-12. An attack error by the Hoosiers kept the match going, but Northwestern served the next ball long to give the Hoosiers the 15-13 fifth set win and take the match 3-2.
Up next the Hoosiers return home to host Minnesota on Wednesday Oct. 29 at 7:00 p.m. ET in their “Dig Pink” match in support of breast cancer awareness.
Media Contact: Jeremy Rosenthal, jr359@indiana.edu
