Northwestern University Athletics
Women's Volleyball Hosts Michigan, Michigan State This Weekend
10/11/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 11, 2000
THIS WEEK IN WILDCAT VOLLEYBALL ...
VS. MICHIGAN
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13 -- 7 P.M.
SPIKE THE ATTENDANCE
VS. MICHIGAN STATE
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14 -- 7 P.M.
The Wildcat volleyball team dropped a pair of Big Ten matches last weekend. NU fell to Iowa, 3-1, and fifth-ranked Minnesota, 3-0. Northwestern falls is now 4-12 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten. Senior Carmen Burbach and sophomore Sarah Ballog led the 'Cats offensively with 15 kills each against Iowa. Burbach recorded her seventh double-double of the season with 21 digs to go with her 15 kills. Ballog hit at a .294 clip, and recorded one block solo and four block assists in the contest. Saturday night against Minnesota, freshman Erika Lange led the 'Cats, recording 11 kills and two block assists. Burbach entered the weekend needing only 46 digs to reach the elite 1,000 kill-1,000 dig plateau. She tallied 24 in the two matches, and is now only 22 digs shy of the milestone. Burbach recorded her 1,000th kill against Oregon on Sept. 8.
Scouting the Wolverines
Michigan survived a five-game duel with Indiana last Friday before 1,108 fans and a FOX Sports audience. The Wolverines earned a 76-60 advantage in kills, and out hit the Hoosiers .167-.128. Nicole Kacor tallied a team-high 19 kills and 22 digs in the match. Joanna Fielder contributed seven blocks and 17 kills in the victory. UM's match with No. 12 Penn State last Saturday again went to a fifth game, but this time the Wolverines found themselves on the short end of the 3-2 final score. Sarah Behnke had 26 kills and Kacor chipped in 23 in the effort. Behnke is the team's leading offensive player, averaging 3.90 kills per game, while Kacor leads the defense with 4.07 digs per game. As a team, the Wolverines are hitting .237 on the season and average 17.29 kills, 17.31 digs and 2.20 blocks per game.
The Series: Wildcats vs. Michigan
Series Record: Michigan leads 20-18
Most Recent Meeting: Nov. 26, 1999 at Evanston, Ill. (UM 3, NU 0)
First Meeting: Oct. 27, 1978 at Evanston, Ill. (NU 3, UM 0)
Last NU win in Evanston: Sept. 23, 1994, 3-0
Last Michigan win in Evanston: Nov. 26, 1999, 3-0
Scouting the Spartans
No. 19 Michigan State fell to No. 12 Penn State, 3-1 last Friday in East Lansing, but rebounded with a dominating 3-0 performance against Indiana. Against Penn State, MSU's Sarah Gustin racked up a game-high 20 kills, while Julie Sanborn posted 13 kills and 13 digs, including her 500th career dig. The Spartans hit .378 as a team against the Hoosiers while holding their opponent to .012. Angela Morley had five aces in the victory, including four in the game's final six points, while setter Christie Landry tallied 10 digs and 31 assists. As a team, the Spartans are hitting .280 while holding their opponents to a .199 percentage. They average 16.44 kills and 14.40 digs. The Spartans lead the Big Ten in blocking, with 3.07 per game. Individually, Sarah Gustin leads the offense with 3.98 kills per game. On defense, Emmy Miller averages 3.00 digs per game.
The Series: Wildcats vs. Michigan State
Series Record: Northwestern leads 25-13
Most Recent Meeting: Nov. 27, 1999 at Evanston, Ill. (MSU 3, NU 0)
First Meeting: Sept. 23, 1978 at Evanston, Ill. (NU 3, MSU 0)
Last NU win in Evanston: Sept. 24, 1994, 3-0
Last MSU win in Evanston: Nov. 27, 1999, 3-0
All Your Rowdy Friends ...
Saturday night is Spike the Attendance at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Last year the Wildcats set a volleyball attendance record as 1,157 fans filled the house on Sept. 24 when the 'Cats hosted in-state rival, Illinois. The previous mark before that was 1,127, set in 1998, against Illinois.
'Cats GO PRIMETIME
FOX Sports Chicago will present a tape-delay broadcast of NU's match at Purdue. The match is set for Saturday, Oct. 21, and the broadcast will be shown on Sunday, Oct. 22 at 4 p.m.
FAB Freshman
NU's standout freshman Lange is doing it all. The 6-3 middle blocker has adjusted to collegiate volleyball without any problems and has turned into the 'Cats' leading hitter and blocker. Lange is averaging 3.25 kills and 1.28 blocks per game. She ranks third in the Big Ten with 77 total blocks and has led the team to fifth in the conference in blocking. Lange has started each of the Wildcats' 16 matches.
Pavlik Stays on Big Ten Leaderboard
Freshman outside hitter Lindsay Pavlik is eighth on the Big Ten leaderboard in digs. Pavlik averages 3.00 digs per game, as she is the team's top defensive player with 177 digs on the season. Senior Carmen Burbach is second with 171.
Ballog's Wall Makes Big Ten Leaderboard
Sarah Ballog's `Great Wall' has earned her a spot among the leading blockers in the Big Ten. Ballog is ninth with 12 block solos and 57 block assists for 69.0 total blocks on the season. She is averaging 1.17 per game.
The Ruhling is in
Sophomore middle blocker Adriana Ruhl has earned a spot in the Wildcats' starting lineup, starting a career-high 11 matches and playing in 34 games this season. In her start against Penn State, Ruhl recorded a season-high six kills, one assist, two service aces, eight digs and two block assists -- her best match to date. Expect to see a lot more of this Stockton, Calif., native as the season progresses.
Return to Sender
After 16 matches, it's clear that one of the strengths of the Wildcats will be their defense at the net. Freshman middle blocker Erika Lange leads NU with 77 total blocks and sophomore middle blocker Sarah Ballog is a close second with 69 total blocks, 12 of which are solo. As a team, the Wildcats are averaging 2.70 blocks per game to rank fifth in the Big Ten behind Michigan State (3.07), Wisconsin (2.93), Minnesota (2.81), and Purdue (2.72).
Burbach Could Reach Milestone this Weekend
Carmen Burbach is on track to join six other Wildcats in the 1,000-1,000 club. Burbach already has 1,100 kills, and she is 22 digs shy of becoming the seventh member of this elite club. Burbach is averaging 2.85 digs per game, and at that rate should reach 1,000 digs in eight games.
Making History
Senior outside hitter Carmen Burbach joined the prestigious 1,000-kill club at the Wahine Challenge. Against Oregon, Burbach became the 15th Wildcat in history to reach the milestone with her fourth kill of the night. She currently has a career total of 1,079.
Ballog Sets Career-High
Sophomore middle blocker Sarah Ballog recorded 25 kills in the 'Cats win over Penn State last weekend for a career high. Ballog has been one of the Wildcats' most consistent players and was a starter last season as a freshman. This season she is averaging 2.47 kills and 1.17 blocks per game.
Freshmen Put Up Big Numbers The 2000 freshmen class has put up big numbers already this season. Three of the six freshman have earned starting spots. As a class, they have combined for 402 kills, averaging 6.70 per game. In addition to their prowess on offense, they have combined for 153 blocks this season.
Lange Named `Most Outstanding Player'
Erika Lange was named Most Outstanding Player of the 2000 Hampton Inn & Suites Wildcat Classic on Sept. 15-16. She recorded 55 kills and 19 blocks during the tournament.
All-Tournament Team
Erika Lange was named to the Aston Imua Wahine Challenge all-tournament team (9/8-9/10) for her outstanding play. Lange led the 'Cats during the tournament with 33 kills and 15 blocks. One week later, Sarah Ballog and Carmen Burbach were named to the Hampton Inn & Suites Wildcat Classic all-tournament team.
Last time out -- NU Swept by No. 5 Minnesota
The Northwestern volleyball team dropped its fifth Big Ten match of the season to Minnesota at the Sports Pavilion Saturday night. Match scores were 15-8, 15-3, 15-7. The 'Cats fall to 4-12 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten. The Gophers upped their record to 16-1 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten. Erika Lange (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) led the 'Cats with 11 kills and two block assists. Northwestern opened the match scoring the first four points, but Minnesota rallied and tied it at 5-5, 6-6, and 7-7, before scoring eight of the next nine points for the 15-8 win. Game 2 was all Minnesota as they hit .700, while only allowing the 'Cats three points. NU rallied in Game 3, but could not pull through as Minnesota won 15-7.
2000 Captains named
Seniors Jennifer Armson and Carmen Burbach were named co-captains for the 2000 volleyball season.
Fresh(men) Faces
The 2000 Northwestern volleyball team features seven new faces. Jill Buschur, Leah Delcourt, Molly Kamp, Erica Knavel, Erika Lange, Traci Lato and Lindsay Pavlik join seven letterwinners from a year ago, including three starters.
Lange, a 6-3 middle blocker, headlines the group. She was one of the most highly-touted players in Illinois. In her junior year at Carl Sandburg, Lange helped lead the team to its first-ever state championship title. The Volleyball Magazine National Fab 50 honoree holds the Sandburg record in kills in a season (362), career kills (901) and career solo blocks (284).
Heavy Competition
The Wildcats will have a tough row to hoe this season as they have another arduous schedule. In all, Northwestern will take on eight nationally ranked teams. NU opened the 2000 schedule with then-No. 6 Nebraska and followed that with a match against then-No. 13 Colorado State. The 'Cats travelled to Hawai'i to take on the then-No. 6 Rainbows. Not surprisingly, those three teams are ranked 1-2-3 in the national poll this week. On September 23, the Wildcats took on another of them -- then-No. 3 Penn State, and handed them a loss. It doesn't end there, as the conference boasts four other teams in the Top 25 with Wisconsin checking in at No. 7, Minnesota at No. 8, Ohio State at No. 11, and Michigan State at No. 19.
Chan, Briefly
Keylor Chan is in his first season as head coach at Northwestern after spending a year at the helm of the Furman University program.
In his only season at Furman, Chan guided the Paladins to an 18-15 overall mark, including a 13-7 conference mark. While under Chan's direction, the Paladins climbed 22 positions from 167th to 145th in the Sagarin Power Rating. Prior to his tenure at Furman, Chan was an assistant coach for the Wildcats for two seasons. During his time at Northwestern, Chan helped improve NU's rank in the Sagarin Power Rating from 175th to 38th.
Chan Names Volleyball Assistants
Josh Grau and Valerie Jones were named assistant volleyball coaches at Northwestern University by head coach Keylor Chan. Grau comes to Northwestern from Texas, while Jones comes from the University of California-Davis.
Grau, a native of Tampa, Fla., spent last season as the volunteer assistant coach at the University of Texas. Grau is a 1997 graduate of the University of Florida, where he was a four-year member of the Gator volleyball team.
Jones brings a wealth of experience to the Wildcat coach staff. Last season she was the assistant at UC-Davis. Prior to her tenure at UC-Davis, Jones spent a season at Utah State University as an assistant. Jones was a three-sport athlete at Tampa, playing volleyball, basketball and softball.
