Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
East Tennessee State
Women's Volleyball Captures Tournament Title
8/31/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 31, 2002
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - Thanks to a perfect 3-0 record, the Northwestern University women's volleyball team captured the title at the Spring Hill Suites Invitational this weekend in Charlotte, N.C.
The Wildcats and host Charlotte each entered the final match of the tournament 2-0, but the Wildcats laid claim to the title with a 30-20, 30-26, 30-24 victory over the 49ers.
Iwona Lodzik (Tarnobrzeg, Poland) recorded 14 kills in the match on her way to earning tournament MVP honors. Erika Lange (Orland Park, Ill.), who added 14 kills of her own, and Drew Robertson (Long Beach, Calif.), who had 111 set assists in the three matches, were also named to the all-tournament team.
Northwestern benefited from Charlotte's six service errors and nine attack errors in the first game. The Wildcats led 21-18 before rattling off nine of the game's final 11 points.
Game two was tight throughout until the Wildcats took charge late once again, scoring five of the game's final seven points for the win.
The nine-game sweep throughout the tournament was then completed in the third game as the Wildcats finished off the deflated 49ers.
In the opening match of the day, Northwestern used a decisive height advantage to easily dispose of East Tennessee State, 30-19, 30-18, 30-19.
The Wildcats cruised to the three-game sweep thanks to a .380 team hitting percentage in the match.
Lodzik led Northwestern with 12 kills while Sarah Ballog (Coto de Caza, Calif.) and Lange added 10 apiece. Northwestern's height contributed to a 12-4 advantage in block assists.
The first game featured the Wildcats hitting an impressive .526 as Ballog, Kelli Meyer (Madison, Wis.) and Lodzik recorded five kills apiece. Northwestern kept up the intensity in each of the next two games and was never seriously challenged by the Buccaneers.
Southern Methodist University finished the tournament with a 1-2 record while ETSU went 0-3.
