SAINT MARY-OF-THE-WOODS, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball opened the Showdown in the Woods Tournament with a sweep of Boyce College before falling in four sets to Culver-Stockton on Friday inside Knoerle Center.
Game 1: IU Northwest 3, Boyce 0
The RedHawks (3-4) controlled the opener against Boyce, winning 25-15, 25-18, 25-18 behind an efficient .286 team hitting percentage and 11 service aces.
Freshman setter Raniyah Preston filled the stat sheet with eight kills on .500 hitting, 10 assists and an ace. Sophomore Kaelan Murphy added seven kills and an ace, while junior Gabi Lilovich chipped in six kills and 15 assists.
IU Northwest set the tone early in the first set, using a 6-0 run capped by back-to-back service aces from Marissa Gutierrez to break away for a 25-15 win. The RedHawks kept momentum in the second, where Lindsey Krueger delivered consecutive aces and Murphy scored on a powerful swing to fuel a 25-18 frame.
In the third, Trinitie Lintner and Preston combined for key kills, while Murphy added a late ace to secure another 25-18 win and the sweep.
Game 2: Culver-Stockton 3, IU Northwest 1
The RedHawks carried the energy into the second match but came up short against Culver-Stockton, falling 25-20, 18-25, 25-18, 25-23.
Lilovich paced IU Northwest with a double-double of 11 kills and 16 assists, while Preston posted another strong outing with 8 kills and 22 assists. Murphy tallied 11 kills on the match.
The opening set was tightly contested until Culver-Stockton pulled away late, taking a 25-20 win. In the second, IU Northwest rallied from a 19-14 deficit with back to back kills from Lintner and came out on top 25-18.
Culver-Stockton controlled the third, stretching a 6–6 tie to 11–6, prompting an IU Northwest timeout. Despite a late push capped by a Krueger kill and a service ace to get within 23–18, the Wildcats closed it out 25–18 on kills.
The fourth set saw IU Northwest claw back from a 21-18 deficit to within one point, but Culver-Stockton's balanced attack sealed the match 25-23.
IU Northwest (3-4) returns to action Saturday in Day Two of the Showdown in the Woods, facing Johnson Univeristy - Tenn. at 3 pm and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods at 5 pm.
