PNW Volleyball Splits Final Day of UNOH Tourney
The Purdue University Northwest volleyball team dropped a 5-set battle to Grace College in the final match of the UNOH Silver Spike Tournament Saturday night.
PNW, (3-2) fell to the Lancers, (5-5) in PNW’s first 5-set match all season, and showed a hard fought and determined effort from both squads.
“This weekend was an excellent display of how hard this whole team has been working,” head coach Julie Wiejak said. “I am so proud of the effort and heart that we put forth for every point. All 20 of these girls deserve the success we had this weekend and PNW volleyball has proven we have what it takes.”
Purdue Northwest 2, Grace 3
Gabrielle Martin (Demotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) led the way for the Pride with a career-high 21 kills and a .327 attack percentage while also tallying five assists and a pair of block assists.
Senior Cami Webster (Demotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) would record a double-double with 12 kills and 11 digs and Brooke Ahrens (Covington, Ind./Covington) also recorded a double-double with 29 assists and 22 digs.
Coming off an impressive performance in the earlier match, freshman Olivia Simpson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook) racked up 11 kills and five service aces while Abbe Mullen notched another double-double for the Pride with 17 assists and 11 digs. The Black and Gold took an early lead in the opening set, after a kill from Martin gave the Pride an 11-9 lead.
The Lancers would eventually even the score and eventually take a 21-17 lead on a kill from Kelsee Zuidema, and holding on to take the first set 25-22.
The Pride would come back strong in the second set, after starting the match out 6-6, the Black and Gold would go on an 8-0 scoring run to take a 14-6 advantage.
They would continue to keep control of the set and eventually even the match score one set apiece after taking set two 25-17.
After Grace came away with the third set, Purdue Northwest would find their grove in Set 4, gaining back control and leaping out to a 19-10 advantage before winning the fourth set 25-15.
The fifth set was a back-and-forth battle between both teams, with the Black and Gold taking an 8-6 lead thanks to a kill from Martin.
Grace would earn the next two points to even the score at 8-8, before both teams would trade points again making it 10-10.
A kill from Cami Webster gave PNW a 13-13 lead, but the Lancers would continue to even the score. After the set was knotted at 15-15, Grace would tack on the next two points to give them the 5-set win, over the Black and Gold.
Purdue Northwest 3, Huntington 1
The Pride used impressive performances from freshmen duo Olivia Simpson and Brooke Ahrens to propel the Black and Gold past the Foresters to start the final day of the tournament.
Purdue Northwest would start off the opening set with a lead, after a service ace from Cami Webster put the Pride up 9-5.
The Black and Gold would continue to increase their lead to take an 18-11 advantage thanks to some miscues from the Foresters.
PNW would stay in control for the remainder of the set to come away with the 25-19 Set 1 victory. The Pride would carry that momentum in to the second set, taking a 12-7 lead on a kill from Kayla Elsea. After the Black and Gold jumped out to an 18-14 advantage, the Foresters would tie the set with four unanswered points to even the score at 18 points apiece. The rest of the set was a see-saw battle between both squads, with PNW finishing by taking the final two points to win 26-24 and take a two-set advantage.
After Huntington came back to win the third set, Purdue Northwest regrouped and ended up taking a 16-12 lead in Set 4 thanks to three consecutive service aces from Simpson. PNW would hold on for the remainder of the set and defeat the Foresters 25-19 to seal the match victory.
Simpson led the team with 16 kills, a .324 attack percentage and six aces while Ahrens dominated in all aspects of the game, recording a triple-double with 12 kills, 24 assists and 16 digs.
The Pride recorded 90 digs total in the four-set match, and recorded six team blocks, led by Auburn Dodd (Chicago, Ill./Gwendolyn Brooks) who tallied two solo blocks and a trio of block assists.
Freshmen Olivia Simpson and Brooke Ahrens were also selected to the UNOH Silver Spike All-Tournament team. PNW will be back in action Tuesday, Sept. 6, when they host Indiana University Northwest at 7:00 p.m. at the Fitness and Recreation Center.
Purdue Northwest Tops Bethel in 2OT, 1-0
Zac Doepke’s goal in double overtime propelled the Purdue University Northwest men’s soccer team to a 1-0 nonleague win in double overtime on the road over host Bethel College Saturday.
Doepke (Troy, Mich./Troy) , a junior, connected on the game winner in the 101st minute via a header from a corner kick from junior Chris Rassel (St. John, Ind./Lake Central) to give the Pride (2-2-1) a 1-0 win in a tightly contested contest in Mishawaka, Ind.
Bethel (3-3) outshot PNW (2-2-1) by a margin of 16-12, but Pride starting keeper Miguel David (Spring Valley, Calif./Bonita Vista) stopped five shots – including two in the final overtime period – to help preserve the win.
Felix Guenzel (Munich, Germany), Jamie Garcia (Elkhart, Ind./Memorial) and Rassel led the Pride with two shots apiece for the PNW offense.
Bethel edged the Pride on corner kicks, 4-3, and fouls were tied between the two teams, 9-9.
PNW returns to action Saturday, Sept. 10, with a nonleague matchup at Cornerstone (Mich.).
Purdue Northwest Outlasts Rochester, 3-2
The Purdue University Northwest women’s soccer team picked up its second win of the year in dramatic fashion Friday, outlasting Rochester College (Mich.) on the road, 3-2, in a game held at the Ultimate Soccer Arena.
PNW junior Shayla McNeal (Indianapolis, Ind./Pike) netted two goals – including the game-winner in the 85th minute – and teammate Shayna Coy (Fort Wayne, Ind./Bishop Luers) had the other to lead the Purdue Northwest offense.
McNeal struck first early via a header assist from sophomore Marisa Jayne (Hartland, Mich./Hartland) to give the Pride a 1-0 lead that would last until the half.
Rochester stormed back with two scores in the second 45 to take a 2-1 lead before the Pride dug deep for two more scores, the first on a penalty kick by Coy with around 15 minutes to play.
McNeal would provide the rest of the drama for PNW, as the junior connected on her third goal of the season in the 85th on a long shot that beat the keeper high under the cross bar to send PNW home with the victory.
Sophomore Lucie Ashmore (Greystones, Ireland/St. Gerard’s School) picked up the win in goal for the Pride.
PNW returns to action Wednesday, Sept. 7, when the Pride host St. Francis (Ind.) in a nonleague contest at Dowling Park. Match time is set for 4 p.m. CT.
Weissbeck, Werner Lead Purdue Northwest Women at USF Twilight
Freshman Emma Weissbeck led the way for the Purdue University Northwest women’s cross country team in the Pride’s sixth-place finish in Friday’s St. Francis Twilight 5K at Channahon Community Park.
Weissbeck (Schererville, Ind./Lake Central) ran a 5-kilometer time of 19 minutes, 10 seconds, to cross the finish line first for PNW and in 16th place overall in the field of 97, which featured 13 teams. Sophomore teammate Kyleigh Werner (Westville, Ind./South Central) wasn’t far behind, placing 22nd overall with a time of 19:37.
The PNW women finished with 169 points in sixth place, just behind fifth-place Trinity Christian (156) and fourth-place Benedictine (148). The University of Chicago won the team title with 39 points, followed by second-place St. Xavier (50) and third-place St. Francis (67).
Sophomore Sara Kubas (Orland Hills, Ill./Andrew) was third for the Pride, placing 42nd overall with a time of 20:43 and classmate Amanda Baker (New Lenox, Ill./Lincoln Way Central) was 44th at 20:46.
Rounding out the scoring five for PNW was freshman Kristen Johnson (Plainfield, Ill./Joliet Catholic), who placed 81st overall with a time of 24:07.
Chicago’s Cassidy McPherson won the overall individual title, placing first with a time of 18:24.
The Pride return to action Sept. 16 when both PNW cross country teams head to Indiana University in Bloomington, Ind., for the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships.
USF Twilight 5K
Channahon, Ill.
Team results – 1. Chicago 39; 2. St. Xavier 50; 3. St. Francis (Ill.) 67; 4. Benedictine 148; 5. Trinity Christian 156; 6. Purdue Northwest 169; 7. Roosevelt 211; 8. USF Alumni 228; 9. Cardinal Stritch 230; 10. Calumet St. Joseph 234; 11. Governors State 278; Inc. Calumet St. Joseph; Inc. Trinity International.
Purdue Northwest (6th, 169) – 16. Emma Weissbeck, 19:10; 22. Kyleigh Werner, 19:37; 42. Sara Kubas, 20:43; 44. Amanda Baker, 20:46; 81. Kristen Johnson, 24:07; 85. Shyla Huppenthal, 24:20; 86. Abigail Bondi 24:48.
PNW Splits Opening Day of UNOH Silver Spike Tournament
The Purdue University Northwest volleyball came back strong in Friday’s nightcap of the UNOH Silver Spike Tournament, after picking up the 3-set victory over Cumberland University.
The Pride (2-1) defeated the Phoenix (7-4), 25-21, 25-22 and 25-21, thanks to the aggressive play from the Black and Gold.
Purdue Northwest 3, UNOH 0
Purdue Northwest opened the first set strong, taking a 13-8 lead to give the squad some early momentum.
Cumberland would capitalize on some PNW miscues to come back and take a 19-18 advantage late in the opening set.
The Black and Gold would continue to fight and finish the set on a 7-2 run to give the Pride the 25-21 win in Set 1.
The second set was a see-saw battle which saw seven different lead changes, most importantly being the late 23-22 lead the Black and Gold had thanks to an attack error from the Phoenix.
PNW would hold on and pick up the 25-22 thanks to a kill from Martin which gave the Pride the second set.
The Pride would take that momentum heading in to final set, which the Black and Gold earned the three-set victory, finishing the third set 25-21 on a service ace from Ahrens.
Gabrielle Martin (DeMotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) led the attack for the Pride with nine kills and a .304 attack percentage while Freshman Brooke Ahrens (Covington, Ind./Covington) recorded a .278 attack percentage with eight kills while tallying a team-high 14 assists and three service aces.
Junior Kayla Elsea (Palmyra, Ind./Crawford County) also had a strong performance for the Black and Gold with two solo blocks and a trio of block assists to go along with four kills. Abbe Mullen (Lansing, Ill./T.F. South) would finish the night with 12 assists and five digs while Casey Neulieb (Michigan City, Ind./Michigan City) chipped in with three service aces and a team-high nine digs to round out the Pride leaders.
Purdue Northwest 1, UNOH 3
The second game was back and forth for the majority of the set, with the Black and Gold holding a 17-16 advantage midway through.
PNW would rattle off five straight points behind the serving of Eudora Negri (Munster, Ind./Munster) to put themselves ahead, 22-16, before finishing the set strong to come away with the 25-19 Set 2 win.
UNOH would come back strong in the third set, after a nice performance from Kendall Stoll helped push the Racers to a 25-16 win to go up 2-1 in the match.
At the start of the fourth set, UNOH took a 10-7 advantage, but the Black and Gold fought back to even the set, 13-13, thanks to a kill from Olivia Simpson (Bolingbrook, Ill./Bolingbrook).
After both teams traded points to make it 14-14, the Pride took three straight points to increase their Set 4 lead 17-14.
The Racers would come back to even the match at 17 points apiece, before going on a run to take the final set 25-21 and come away with the victory.
Junior Gabrielle Martin (DeMotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) led the Black and Gold with 13 kills while senior Cami Webster (DeMotte, Ind./Kankakee Valley) finished with nine kills.
Purdue Northwest will be back in action tomorrow morning at 11:00 (CT) when they face off with Huntington University before finishing the tournament with a 3:00 p.m. (CT) matchup against Grace College.
Sal Cordova Leads Purdue Northwest Men to Fifth-Place at USF Twilight
The Purdue University Northwest men’s cross country team, led by junior Sal Cordova, turned in a strong showing with its fifth-place finish at Friday night’s University of St. Francis Twilight Invitational 5K.
PNW finished with 138 points in its Top 5 finish in the 10-team event, trailing fourth-place Benedictine (138) by just three points. The University of Chicago (36) won the team title, followed by host St. Francis (45) in second and Trinity Christian (101) in third.
Cordova (Hammond, Ind./Bishop Noll) ran a personal-best time in the 5-kilomter race, posting a mark of 16 minutes, 4 seconds to cross the finish line in 20th place in the field of 115. Senior teammate Alex Cordova (Hobart, Ind./Hobart) wasn’t far behind in 23rd, finishing with a time of 16:08.
PNW freshmen Chris Ramos (Hobart, Ind./River Forest) and Robert Corning (Lowell, Ind./Lowell) also posted personal bests, as Ramos placed 33rd with a time of 16:23 and Corning was 56th at 17:11.
Rounding out the top five for the Pride was junior Roger Jachna (Dyer, Ind./Lake Central), who also tied a personal-best with a time of 17:22, good for 60th place.
Cardinal Stritch’s Daniel Garcia was the overall medalist, crossing the line in first place with a time of 15:08.
The Pride return to action Sept. 16 when PNW heads to the Indiana Intercollegiate Championships in Bloomington, Ind.
St. Francis Twilight Invitational 5K
Channahon, Ill.
Team results – 1. Chicago 36; 2. St. Francis (Ill.) 45; 3. Trinity Christian 101; 4. Benedictine 135; 5. Purdue Northwest 138; 6. St. Xavier 149; 7. Calumet St. Joseph 170; 8. USF Alumni 181; 9. Indiana South Bend 269; 10. Governors State 271; Inc. Cardinal Stritch; Inc. Roosevelt; Inc. Trinity International ; Inc. SXU Alumni.
Purdue Northwest (5th, 138): 20. Salvador Cordova, 16:04; 23. Alex Cordova 16:08; 33. Chris Ramos 16:23; 56. Robert Corning 17:11; 60. Roger Jachna 17:22; 67. Mark Peters, 17:51; 89. Brett Richardson 19:09; 95. Martin Estrada 19:21; 98. Dustin Pluard 19:48; 106. Pascual Delgado 21:01.