Ahrens Solid; Purdue Northwest Volleyball Falls in Four to UW-Parkside
HAMMOND, Ind. – Sophomore Brooke Ahrens (Covington, Ind./Covington) tallied 20 assists, eight digs and four kills; but it was not enough as the Purdue University Northwest volleyball team lost its non-conference match with University of Wisconsin-Parkside in four sets Monday evening at the Fitness & Recreation Center in Hammond, Ind. The Pride fell by scores of 14-25, 25-19, 19-25 and 22-25.
Senior Gabrielle Martin (DeMotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) led the offensive effort with nine kills and also scooped up 10 digs. Martin also hit a career milestone Monday surpassing 1,000 digs for her standout collegiate career. She is the third player in program history* to achieve both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.
Junior Jenna Pasko (Lansing, Ill./TF-South) finished with eight kills for PNW, while junior Kylie Tincher (Sellersburg, Ind/Rock Creek Academy) was tough defensively leading the Pride with 15 digs. Sophomore Eudora Negri (Munster, Ind./Munster) had a solid night as well for Purdue Northwest with 11 assists and 10 digs.
With the score tied 6-6 in the opening set, the Rangers went on an 11-0 run to take control for good en route to a 25-14 victory. Back-to-back kills by junior Carissa Jones (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) and senior Kayla Elsea (Palmyra, Ind./Crawford County) gave PNW a 14-12 lead in the second set. Kills late in the set by Jones, Elsea and Pasko allowed the Pride to even up the match with a 25-19 win. Unfortunately for PNW, UW-Parkside pulled away late in both the third and fourth sets to secure the match.
Purdue Northwest (5-15 overall) takes part in the 10th Annual Midwest Region Crossover, the nation’s largest collegiate volleyball tournament, this weekend at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Ill. PNW plays on Friday, October 13, at 2:30 p.m. against William Jewell (Mo.) and then plays Saturday, October 14, at 10 a.m. against Missouri-St. Louis and at 4 p.m. against Maryville (Mo.).