The Beach leaves Northwestern volleyball out to dry in a two match series

Pacific time has not favored the ‘Cats out of the gate.

After a tough start to its campaign in the Rebel Challenge Tournament in Las Vegas, Northwestern volleyball’s business trip to Long Beach only added to the Wildcats’ slow start under new coach Tim Nollan in 2024.

With a two-match Thursday and Saturday series on the agenda from Walter Pyramid, Northwestern got off to a fast 7-2 start in set one on Thursday. But a resilient Long Beach State squad battled back, knotting the set up 10-10, before taking it 25-23. Close the entire way, the first of nine sets played between the two squads over three days featured nine ties before the Beach struck first blood.

Keeping the competitive spirit from set one, set two saw six lead changes and 16 ties. Led by a defensive clinic from Kennedy Hill and Kathryn Randorf, who helped Northwestern block four Long Beach State attacks, the ‘Cats clawed their way to a 29-27 set two victory, evening up the weekend’s first match at one.

Yet the rest of the match, the Beach kicked the heat up an extra notch, showing that Northwestern’s fourth set collapse against UNLV and third set collapse against Pacific in Las Vegas was far from a fluke. Knotted up 16-16 in set three, the Beach won eight of the next nine points, barreling past Northwestern 25-17, before taking set four 25-15 without Northwestern ever seeing a lead.

Offensively, a .038 team-hitting percentage proved too much to overcome as the Beach finished with a far more efficient .224 attack percentage. Buse Hazan led Northwestern with 10 kills, the only Wildcat with double-digit kills, while Alexa Rousseau tallied her second consecutive double-double with 26 assists and 10 digs. Defensively, Kennedy Hill continued to showcase why she’s one of the Big Ten’s best net-front presences, tallying a season-high seven blocks.

After a Friday day off in Southern California, Northwestern looked to bounce back Saturday inside the United States’ third tallest pyramid. But after a 4-4 tie in set one, the ‘Cats never gained the lead back dropping the opening set 25-17. Even then, the vibes were still California cool as Rylen Reid blocked her first of a career-high four blocks in the match.

During set two, Northwestern battled. In a set that saw four lead changes and 14 ties, with neither team ever leading by more than four at any point, the ‘Cats were in it until the final stretch, losing eight of the last 12 points to fall behind in the match 2-0.

Helped by an efficient .458 attack percentage in set three, the tide started to turn at that point in the match as the ‘Cats used a six-point run to turn a 10-9 deficit into a 14-10 advantage. Helped by four kills by Hazan and three from Randorf, Northwestern took set three 25-16, extending the match to a fourth set.

Grabbing an early 2-1 lead in set four, Northwestern, helped by 10 Long Beach State attacking errors and another strong defensive set up front from Sophia Summers, Rousseau, Hill and Randorf, the ‘Cats led by as many as seven twice before forcing a decisive fifth set with a 25-18 win.

After going 0-5 in match-clinching sets in Las Vegas, Northwestern couldn’t find its clutch gene to put a tally in the win column. Up 6-3 in the fifth set, Northwestern allowed an eight-point run by the Beach, ultimately losing set five 15-10.

Even in the disappointing loss, Northwestern still had some positives. Offensively, Hazan churned out her fourth consecutive double-digit kill performance. Her 20 kills on a .250 attacking percentage alongside eight digs, four blocks and three service aces were her best performance in a Northwestern uniform in her young Wildcat career. Although Rousseau’s 27 assists made it consecutive matches under the 30-assist mark, her 11 digs gave Northwestern’s setter her third consecutive double-double as she continues to effectively balance all her responsibilities.

From a team standpoint, Northwestern’s defense at the net is a block to build on. The ‘Cats had six players with three or more blocks, including middle blockers Summers and Hill who had six and five respectively. On the back end, the ‘Cats took a team mentality with digs, with Drew Wright leading the way with 18 digs alongside Rousseau’s 11 and Lily Wagner’s 10.

However, hampered by a .119 hitting percentage in match two against the Beach, Northwestern’s offensive inconsistency and issues at the service line with 12 service errors compared to seven aces undercuts the defensive positives from Saturday’s five-set loss.

On Thursday, Northwestern looks to snap its worst start to a season since 2000, returning home to face Notre Dame in its home opener.