Northwestern University Athletics
The 2003 Outlook
8/18/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 18, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - After reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in 18 years, Northwestern's volleyball program is back on the map. In two years, the Wildcats have gone from a 7-23 club to an NCAA Tournament-qualifying program.
What's next for NU?
Led by All-America candidate Erika Lange, the 'Cats return a solid nucleus and that, coupled with a talented incoming class, has Northwestern anticipating another exciting season.
"The experience of reaching the NCAA Tournament has given the team the confidence and the motivation to go further," says fourth-year coach Keylor Chan.
Fifteen seasons have passed since the Wildcats finished a campaign ranked in the top five in the Big Ten, but with experienced players returning at all the skill positions, Northwestern's volleyball team appears to have the pieces in place to build on its success of a year ago.
The following is a position-by-position look at the Wildcats, plus an overview of the schedule and the 2003 Big Ten race.
Middle Blocker
Northwestern is strong at middle blocker with Erika Lange returning for her senior season. One of the most dominant players in school history--and arguably one of the top middle blockers nationally-Lange is expected to continue her assault on the Wildcat record book.
After being named Northwestern's first All-Big Ten first-team selection since 1984 and the first AVCA All-Mideast Region selection in school history, Lange should contend for All-America status in 2003. As a junior, she finished first in Big Ten blocks, second in hitting percentage and third in kills.
"Erika is arguably one of the top middle blockers in the nation. She is the focal point of our offense and we expect her to have her best season yet," says Chan. "We are expecting a lot from her."
Senior Leah Delcourt, who has battled injuries throughout her Wildcat career, also returns up front for Northwestern.
"When healthy, Leah has proven to be one of the most physical middles in the conference," says Chan. "She can be a dangerous force at the net."
One of the strengths of Northwestern's recruiting class is freshman Julie Purcell. As a junior, Purcell was named StudentSports magazine's National Junior Player of the Year, while leading her high school team to a No. 1 national ranking.
"Julie is a proven player at the high school and club level," says Chan. "We are excited to see what she can do as she makes the transition to college."
Setter
While Lange may be the focal point on the Northwestern squad, it is junior setter and team co-captain Drew Robertson who runs the offense to near perfection every time she takes the court. Robertson returns for her third season as the starting setter for the Wildcats. In 2002, she ranked second on the team in digs and proved to be a talented blocker at the net. Robertson also set the single-season record for assists with 1,515 in 2002
"Drew returns to lead the team after having a huge sophomore campaign," says Chan. "She improves every day and is now poised to lead this team on and off the court."
Incoming freshman Lauren Greenwood is expected to make considerable contributions to the Wildcat squad as Robertson's backup. Greenwood comes to Northwestern after earning Gatorade Player of the Year honors in the state of Tennessee and leading Brentwood High School to a third straight state championship.
"Lauren was one of the most underrated prep players in this year's class," says Chan. "We feel lucky to get someone of her caliber. She runs a great offense and is one of the best defensive setters in the class of 2003."
Outside Hitter
Northwestern returns a wealth of talent and experience at the outside hitter position, but must find a much-needed spark to ignite the offense at the right-side position.
In her first season wearing the Purple and White, senior Iwona Lodzik exploded onto the scene, as she earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors following her first weekend of play. Lodzik went on to rank second on the team in kills and led the Wildcats in digs. With a full season under her belt, the Poland native looks to bring much more experience to the outside hitter position.
"Iwona proved to be one of the top outside hitters in the second half of the conference season," says Chan. "She is ready to take on a bigger role in 2003. She has the ability to put up offensive and defensive numbers that could make her an All-American."
As one of only two Wildcats to play in every game last season, Christie Gardner aims to build on a successful freshman campaign.
"Christie surprised opponents last year with her ability to dominate at the net," says Chan. "We expect her to continue where she left off last fall. Her passing and defensive skills are invaluable and we expect her to take on a bigger role in the back row."
For junior Jill Buschur, 2003 may be her best opportunity to shine since joining the Wildcat squad. After finishing last season in impressive fashion, Buschur worked hard in the offseason in an attempt to acquire consistent playing time.
"Jill is on track to have a career season," says Chan. "Physically, she is one of the most gifted athletes we have. We need for her to be a big part of our offense in order to achieve the goals we have set."
Newcomer and Illinois native Stephanie Jurivich was a Chicago Sun-Times all-area first team selection and was a StudentSports magazine Hot 100 pick. She could provide instant help at the right side position vacated by the graduated Kelli Meyer.
"Stephanie will likely play on the right side, but her athleticism could see her setting or on the left as well," says Chan. "She's considered one of the top players in the 2003 class and we're excited for her to make an immediate impact."
Defensive Specialist/Libero
One of the biggest areas of concern for Northwestern entering the 2002 season was defense and passing. In the inaugural season of the libero position, sophomore Lizzie Carlson stepped right into the role. After spending a year at this position, Carlson is firmly entrenched on the back row.
"Lizzie had an outstanding freshman campaign at libero," says Chan. "She worked hard in the offseason to become more disciplined at her position. We expect her to take on an even bigger defensive role this year."
After playing behind Robertson at the setter position last season, senior co-captain Erica Knavel is expected to be a key contributor at defensive specialist in 2003.
"Erica is probably our best pure defensive player," says Chan. "We need her on the court if we want to win the Big Ten."
The Big Ten Conference
Just two years removed from an 11th-place finish in the conference, Northwestern vaulted to sixth place in 2002 and shoots for bigger and better things in 2003. Eight Big Ten teams advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2002; this is the challenge that the Wildcats must face as they claw their way back into the race for the Big Ten Championship.
Out to defend their Big Ten title in 2003 are the Minnesota Golden Gophers. The Gophers finished the season three games ahead of their closest competition. Besides Northwestern, the nine other conference teams will be close on the heels of Minnesota, battling for the top spot.
"Last year the conference was overall a level playing field and should have the same feel this year," says Chan. "Minnesota is the incumbent, but there are seven or eight teams that can contend for the title, so every weekend is vital. With the NCAA inviting eight Big Ten teams to last year's tournament, that's an indication of where the conference is."
The Schedule
After playing 19 of its 33 matches against teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament last season, including five nonconference opponents, Northwestern faces another challenging slate in 2003. This season the Wildcats will take on five more teams from outside the Big Ten that reached the postseason.
Northwestern opens the season when it travels to Atlanta to take on defending Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament champion and NCAA participant Georgia Tech. Local bragging rights will be on the line the following weekend, as the Wildcats take on Illinois-Chicago and Loyola in the UIC Invitational. Miami (Fla.), last year's NCAA Cinderella team, hosts Northwestern one week before the Wildcats open their home season and close out their tournament schedule against one of the most challenging Wildcat Classic fields in recent history. National semifinalist Florida highlights the opposition, while Sweet 16-participant and regular-season ACC champion North Carolina is also taking part in the tournament.
"It's key to be playing teams of this caliber right before the start of the Big Ten season," says Chan. "It will raise our level of play. We wanted to schedule tough nonconference opponents in order to prepare us for the grind of the conference season."
