GARY, Ind. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball made quick work of Mount Mary on Friday afternoon, sweeping the Blue Angels 3-0 (25-13, 25-18, 25-13) at the Savannah Center. The RedHawks improved to 14-7 overall and 9-4 in CCAC play.
IU Northwest set the tone immediately in the first set, with Gabi Lilovich opening the match with a kill of her own before Kaelan Murphy followed with back-to-back kills to build an early cushion. Amie Schutz took over from there, stringing together a service ace and a run of kills late to help the RedHawks pull away, and Kaelan Murphy closed out the set with a kill for a commanding 25-13 win.
The RedHawks carried that momentum into the second, with Murphy sparking an eight-point run that included four kills and a pair of forced attack errors to help IU Northwest build a double-digit lead. Brooklyn Perry and Schutz kept finding kills to maintain the gap, and although Mount Mary battled back late, the RedHawks closed out the set 25-18 to take a 2-0 match lead.
IU Northwest put the finishing touches on the sweep in the third, with Abby Allen sparking a stretch of six straight points that included two service aces and a string of forced errors to blow the set open. Raniyah Preston and Lilovich kept the pressure on down the stretch with back-to-back kills, and Schutz closed out the match with a kill off a Lilovich assist to complete the 25-13 finish.
Schutz led the RedHawks with 12 kills on .333 hitting for 13.0 points. Preston added eight kills and 10 assists for 10.5 points, while Lilovich directed the offense with 20 assists and four service aces to go with four kills for 9.5 points. Trinitie Lintner hit .400 with five kills, and Perry chipped in five kills with two solo blocks and an assisted block. Eva Everett paced the IU Northwest defense with 10 digs.
IU Northwest is back home again to host Olivet Nazarene for Dig Pink Night in support of the SideOut Foundation, with first serve set for 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to wear pink, with a variety of activities planned throughout the match.
