Martin Tough; PNW Volleyball Split Final Two Matches at Dunn Invite
EVANSVILLE, Ind. – Senior Gabrielle Martin (DeMotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) posted 21 total kills on the day as the Purdue University Northwest volleyball team split its final two matches Saturday in the final day of the Dunn Hospitality Invite hosted by University of Southern Indiana in Evansville, Ind.
Match 1: NORTH ALABAMA 3, PNW 0
Martin notched a team-best 10 kills, Abbe Mullen (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) tallied 13 digs and Brooke Ahrens (Covington, Ind./Covington) recorded 23 assists to headline the leaders for the Pride. North Alabama took the first two sets by scores of 25-11 and 25-12, but the Pride jumped out to a 6-0 advantage early in the third set.
However, the Lions answered back to take a 13-12 lead midway through the set, but the Pride evened the score at 24-24. Both teams traded points for the rest of the third set, but North Alabama came out on top, 28-26, to claim the victory.
Match 2: PNW 3, CEDARVILLE 2
With the score even at 7-7 to open the first set of the match, PNW went on a 6-0 run and then took a 21-12 advantage later in the set. The Pride held on down the stretch to pick up the first set victory, 25-15.
Cedarville fought back and took the second set 28-26, but the Pride answered with a 25-19 victory in Set 3. The Yellow Jackets forced a fifth set after earning the 25-20 win in the fourth set.
The Black and Gold came out strong in the final set going ahead, 6-2, after a kill by Jenna Pasko (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South).
Kayla Elsea (Palmyra, Ind./Crawford County) extended the Pride’s lead to 11-7, before taking a 12-10 lead after a small comeback by the Yellow Jackets.
Cedarville tried a rally attempt, but the Pride proved resilient down the stretch earning a hard-fought 15-12 win to secure the five-set victory.
The Pride had four players finish with double-digit kills, led by Pasko with 15 to go along with her 16 digs and six block assists. Â Elsea finished the day with 12 kills along with four solo blocks and five block assists.
Martin recorded 11 kills, while Carissa Jones (Whiting, Ind./Bishop Noll) rounded out the leaders with 10 kills and two block assists.
Ahrens finished the match with a team-leading 43 assists and seven kills to headline the attack for the Pride.
Purdue Northwest returns to action on Friday, Sept. 15, when they host Ferris State (Mich.) at the Fitness and Recreation Center in Hammond, Ind. at 7 p.m. (CT).