Northwest Wayne News

Wayne State University's volleyball team faced a challenging match against Purdue Northwest, resulting in a five-set defeat on Friday night. The Warriors, with an overall record of 9-15 and 4-9 in the GLIAC conference, fell to the Pride, who now stand at 10-13 overall and 5-7 in the GLIAC.

The match began with Wayne State trailing after two sets. Despite a strong comeback that pushed the game to a fifth set, Purdue Northwest ultimately secured the victory.

Wayne State's best offensive performance was in the first set, where they achieved a hitting percentage of .414 with 16 kills. However, Purdue Northwest outperformed them with a .486 hitting percentage and clinched the first set after overcoming Wayne State's late lead.

In subsequent sets, Wayne State showed resilience by pulling within close range but couldn't maintain their momentum against Purdue Northwest's consistent performance. In the final set, Wayne State led briefly at 14-13 before Purdue Northwest closed out with three consecutive points to win.

Notable performances for Wayne State included Molly Miller from Oxford, Michigan, who delivered a team-high of 23 kills along with 15 digs. Chloe Clark contributed significantly despite playing only three sets and tied her career-high of 13 kills. Kayla Dulgar recorded her season-high assists tallying up to 54 alongside achieving her tenth double-double this fall.

Both teams displayed comparable hitting percentages (PNW .241; WSU .227), but Purdue Northwest gained an edge with more aces and blocks than Wayne State.

Wayne State will face Saginaw Valley State next on Halloween Tuesday at home with an opening serve scheduled for 7 p.m.