IU Northwest volleyball drops first CCAC road match

BOURBONNAIS, Ill. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball's undefeated start to conference play came to an end Tuesday night, as the RedHawks fell to Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) 3-0 (25-19, 25-15, 25-18) on the road. IU Northwest moves to 6-2 overall and 3-1 in CCAC play.

The opening set was tight through the early stretch, with Trinitie Lintner and Amie Schutz answering Olivet's Sabrina Sanif and Analiese Fredin to keep IU Northwest within reach. But the Tigers found their rhythm behind Naomi Monney-Hori and Brynn Nikonchuk, stringing together kills to build a five-point cushion. The RedHawks chipped away late — Schutz and Gabi Lilovich traded kills to pull within one at 13-14 — but Olivet Nazarene closed on a run to take the set, 25-19.

Olivet Nazarene carried that momentum into the second, racing out to an early lead as Monney-Hori and the Tigers' offense clicked behind setter Emma Caddell. IU Northwest got a spark from Kaelan Murphy, who opened the set with back-to-back kills and a service ace, but Olivet answered every push, closing out a 25-15 win to take a 2-0 match lead.

The RedHawks tried to make a stand in the third, with Lilovich and Schutz keeping IU Northwest within range through the middle of the set. But Olivet Nazarene's Adeleine Catlin and Skylar Dorsey combined to pull the Tigers away late, and despite a final push from Lindsey Krueger and Lilovich, IU Northwest couldn't complete the comeback, falling 25-18 to close out the sweep.

Schutz led the RedHawks with nine kills and a team-high 11.0 points, while Lilovich hit .455 with five kills, 12 assists and two assisted blocks. Murphy added three kills and two service aces, and Krueger chipped in three kills.

IU Northwest stays on the road this Friday, Sept. 18, for the Defiance Trimatch in Defiance, Ohio, facing Defiance at 1 p.m. and Ohio Christian University at 3:30 p.m. CDT.