GARY, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball stormed back from an opening-set loss to defeat Governors State 3-1 (23-25, 25-16, 25-19, 25-19) Thursday night inside the Savannah Center, extending their head-to-head win streak over the Jaguars to five straight since 2022.

The RedHawks (6-10, 3-0 CCAC) remained unbeaten in league play, tying Viterbo atop the early Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference standings.

After a slow start, IU Northwest erased a 17-8 deficit in the first set behind kills from Gabi Lilovich and Kaelan Murphy, and a service ace from Abby Allen that closed the gap to 24-23. Governors State (1-9, 0-2) held on for the 25-23 opener, but the late push set the tone for the rest of the night.

The RedHawks' momentum carried into the second set. Lindsey Krueger sparked a seven-point swing with a pair of kills and back-to-back service aces, while Allen added an ace and two kills during a decisive stretch that helped IUN pull away, 25-16.

IU Northwest's frontline took over in the third frame. Baileigh Uporsky and Lilovich combined for key blocks and kills, while Murphy and Krueger connected on back-to-back swings to put the RedHawks ahead 18-12. Lilovich sealed the set with her 10th kill of the night, giving IUN the 25-19 win.

The fourth set featured another battle, as Governors State led 14-11 before the RedHawks responded. Krueger and Murphy hammered kills off feeds from setter Raniyah Preston to swing momentum. With the score tied at 18, Preston and Julianna Kisel teamed up on a block that sparked a closing 7-1 run. Murphy capped the night with her 15th kill to secure the match, 25-19.

Murphy led IU Northwest with 15 kills, while Krueger and Lilovich each posted 12. Preston distributed 21 assists and added 15 digs, while libero Eva Everett collected a team-high 25 digs to anchor the defense.

The RedHawks return to action Tuesday, Sept. 16, hosting Mount Mary University (1-10, 1-2 CCAC) at 7 p.m. inside the Savannah Center.