CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Just days removed from a thrilling five-set upset over No. 9 Illinois, Northwestern again made the Illini sweat, but ultimately fell in four sets at Huff Hall in Champaign, Ill. (25-15, 26-24, 22-25, 25-16).
Symone Abbott and Kayla Morin reached double figures in kills, and the team recorded eight blocks, but it was not enough as Illinois pulled away in the decisive fourth set.
NU dropped to 15-10 (5-9 B1G) with the loss on Saturday.
The `Cats simply could not get anything going in the first set, trailing the Illini throughout. The blue and orange took the set 25-15, leading by as much as 12 at one point.
The second set was a different story with neither team stretching its lead higher than four. Northwestern had an early 6-5 lead and traded points with Illinois until the host squad stretched it out to 19-15. NU went on an 8-3 run near the end of the set, highlighted by two aces from Caleigh Ryan, to grab a 23-22 advantage. The Illini proved to be too much down the stretch, taking a narrow 26-24 set win to go up 2-0 in the match.
Needing to win the third set to stay alive, Northwestern responded with another down-to-the-wire finish. Illinois jumped out to a 4-0 advantage before the Wildcats went on a 10-5 run to recapture the lead. Abbott had three kills during the run to help get NU right back in it. After the hosts went back ahead, the two teams traded points until the Illini were up 20-18. The `Cats used a couple errors by their opponent to gain momentum on their way to scoring the next five with Abbott and Dutchman getting kills. The Wildcats finished the set off, 25-22, to send the match to another frame.
The final set of the night saw more of the same back-and-forth action between the in-state rivals. The set was tied at 10, and Northwestern kept it as close as 16-15 midway through, but the ninth-ranked Illini would not be denied on this night, going on a 9-1 run to end the match.
The Wildcats continue their three-match road trip on Wednesday, November 12 when they travel north to Minneapolis to take on the Minnesota Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. The Wildcats swept the then-18th-ranked Gophers at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Oct. 5.
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