GARY, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball pushed Saint Xavier to the limit in an intense five-set match Tuesday night, but the Cougars prevailed 3-2 (25-21, 18-25, 21-25, 25-20, 15-8) inside the Savannah Center. The result handed the RedHawks their second straight CCAC loss, dropping them into a tie for third place in the standings with Saint Francis (Ill.).

The match carried postseason intensity with second place in the conference on the line. After a back-and-forth opening set that SXU claimed 25-21, IU Northwest responded with grit in the second. Trinitie Lintner and Raniyah Preston sparked a 6-0 run with a pair of blocks and kills, while Lindsey Krueger's serving run pushed the RedHawks to a 25-18 equalizer.

The RedHawks carried that energy into the third set. Krueger and Kaelan Murphy each tallied key kills, and Lilovich found Preston in transition to cap a 25-21 win.

SXU forced a decisive fifth by taking the fourth, 25-20, despite a late push from IU Northwest. In the final frame, the Cougars raced ahead early and held the lead behind clutch kills from Samantha Hovey and Carrington Smith, closing it 15-8.

Sophomore Lintner had a standout defensive night at the net with a career-high 11 blocks. Preston notched eight kills and 17 assists, while Krueger added 10 kills and 10 digs. Lilovich chipped in five kills and 13 assists, and libero Eva Everett paced the back row with 19 digs.

IU Northwest (7-12, 4-2 CCAC) returns to action on the road Thursday, Sept. 25, visiting Calumet College of Saint Joseph in Whiting, Ind. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.