UNIVERSITY PARK, Ill. — Indiana University Northwest volleyball survived a back-and-forth battle Tuesday night, outlasting Governors State 3-2 (25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 27-29, 15-10) on the road to improve to 8-3 overall and 4-1 in CCAC play.
The RedHawks fell behind early in the first set, but Amie Schutz and Gabi Lilovich helped chip away at the deficit, and the two sides traded points deep into the set. IU Northwest kept its composure late, with Trinitie Lintner and Schutz finishing off key rallies, and the RedHawks closed out a tight 25-23 win to draw first blood.
The Jaguars answered in the second, building a lead the RedHawks couldn't quite overcome despite a push from Raniyah Preston, who chipped in a service ace during the stretch. IU Northwest fell just short, 25-23, to even the match at a set apiece.
IU Northwest regrouped in the third, with Preston and Lilovich combining for a string of kills to seize control. Kaelan Murphy came up big down the stretch, and the RedHawks closed out the set 25-21 to retake the match lead.
The fourth set turned into a marathon. Both teams traded leads and set points deep into extra points, with Lilovich and Lintner continuing to answer every push from Governors State. But the Jaguars found just enough down the stretch, escaping with a 29-27 win to force a decisive fifth set.
IU Northwest wasted no time asserting control in the fifth, getting kills from Lindsey Krueger and Schutz to build an early cushion. Murphy and Lilovich kept the pressure on, and the RedHawks closed out the match with a 15-10 win to seal the five-set victory.
Schutz led all players with 16 kills and a team-high 16.5 points, while Lilovich hit .522 with 13 kills and 25 assists for 15.5 points. Murphy added 13 kills and 13.5 points, and Preston recorded seven kills and 10.0 points. Lintner hit .333 with five kills and five assisted blocks.
IU Northwest hits the road again Friday to face No. 18 Viterbo in La Crosse, Wis., with first serve set for 5 p.m. CDT.
