GARY, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball pulled off a dramatic comeback Tuesday night, storming back from an 0-2 hole to beat St. Francis (Ill.) 3-2 (19-25, 23-25, 25-21, 25-21, 15-7) at home. The RedHawks improved to 9-4 overall and 5-2 in CCAC play.
St. Francis controlled the first set from the outset, building an early cushion that IU Northwest could not quite close despite kills from Amie Schutz and a late push from Trinitie Lintner. The Saints closed it out, 25-19, to take a 1-0 lead.
The RedHawks battled back into the second set, with Schutz stringing together kills and a service ace to help IU Northwest tie it at 7-7. But St. Francis answered every push down the stretch, and despite a late rally from Gabi Lilovich and Raniyah Preston that pulled IU Northwest within one, the Saints closed out a 25-23 win to take a commanding 2-0 match lead.
Facing elimination, IU Northwest turned the tide in the third. Amie Schutz and Kaelan Murphy opened with kills to build an early cushion, and Lilovich and Murphy kept trading points to hold off a late St. Francis push. The RedHawks closed out the set, 25-21, to keep the match alive.
IU Northwest carried that momentum into the fourth, with Schutz opening the set on a personal run to jump ahead early. St. Francis chipped away, but Lilovich and Murphy kept answering, and the RedHawks closed out a 25-21 win to force a decisive fifth set.
The RedHawks never trailed for long in the fifth. Lilovich caught fire from the service line, and Schutz and Murphy kept finishing points to pull IU Northwest away for good. The RedHawks closed out the comeback with a 15-7 win to complete the improbable rally.
Schutz led all players with 15 kills on .306 hitting and a match-high 20.5 points, while Murphy added 15 kills and 16.5 points. Lilovich directed the offense with 26 assists and eight kills for 9.0 points, and Preston chipped in nine kills, 23 assists and 9.0 points. Lintner recorded five kills and four assisted blocks.
IU Northwest is back in action this Friday, hosting the RedHawk Tri-Match against Huntington (Ind.) and Northwestern Ohio, with matches set for 3 p.m. and 5 p.m.
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IU Northwest men’s soccer erased a late two-goal deficit with three goals in 16 minutes to earn a 3-3 road draw against St. Francis (Ill.) in Joliet.
