Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Set To Host Wildcat Classic
9/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 17, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - After opening the season with three consecutive tournaments on the road, the Northwestern volleyball team hosts the Wildcat Classic this weekend, Sept. 19-20, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Purple and White will be taking on tough competition in their home tournament, as No. 3 Florida (8-1), North Carolina (7-2) and Chicago State (1-7) visit Evanston.
The Wildcats have stepped up their level of play since dropping their first two matches, earning seven consecutive victories and dropping just a single game in the process. Last weekend, Northwestern traveled to Miami, where the 'Cats swept the competition for the tournament championship.
All-America candidate Erika Lange (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) has been the MVP of the last two tournaments NU has competed in and is the force behind the Wildcat squad. She leads the team in kills (141), solo blocks (11), block assists (27) and hitting percentage (.456).
Senior outside hitter Iwona Lodzik (Tarnobrzeg, Poland/Tarnobrzeg), who earned Big Ten Player of the Week honors earlier this week, is also a dominating force on the court. Lodzik has 128 kills, 11 service aces, a team-high 89 digs and a .294 hitting percentage. Drew Robertson (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly) runs the NU offense. This season, she has a team-high 387 assists, 72 digs, 14 total blocks and a hitting percentage of .321; she has also been all-tournament in every tournament this season.
North Carolina enters the weekend on a four-match winning streak. This past weekend the Tar Heels knocked off Creighton, Arkansas and host Kansas to take the Jayhawk Classic title. North Carolina earned their seventh victory of the season against Charlotte on Tuesday afternoon.
"A year ago, we had a marathon match with North Carolina," said NU head coach Keylor Chan. " I think both teams are excited about a rematch, so I expect a physical contest."
Junior outside hitter Molly Pyles leads the Tar Heels, as she has notched 127 kills, 79 digs, 10 service aces and a .216 hitting percentage. Katie Wright, a middle blocker for North Carolina, has 93 kills, 27 total blocks, 12 service aces and a hitting percentage of .340.
Chicago State defeated Maine this weekend at the Viking Showcase/Portland State Tournament to pick up its first win of the season. The Cougars enter the Wildcat Classic with a record of 1-7.
"It's always an exciting match when two local teams go head to head," said Chan. "Local bragging rights are on the line and we expect they will give us a tough run."
Chicago State is led by middle blocker Andrea Rose, who has 64 kills, 44 digs, 24 total blocks and 12 service aces. Stacey Cole, a junior outside hitter for the Cougars, has added 53 kills, 44 digs and 11 service aces this season.
After dropping their first match of the season to defending national champion Southern Cal, the Florida Gators have won eight consecutive matches. Last weekend at the Hilton Volleyball Classic, Florida swept Florida A&M and 22nd-ranked Minnesota.
"Florida is one of the premier programs in the nation every year," said Chan, himself a Gator grad. "They are loaded with talent and have recent Final Four experience. This will be the most skilled team we've played all season and I believe this will be a fun match to coach, play and watch."
The Gators are led by senior outside hitter Aury Cruz, who has 122 kills, 99 digs, 20 total blocks, eight service aces and a .267 hitting percentage this season. Senior middle blocker Benavia Jenkins is a complement to Cruz on the court, as she has recorded 102 kills, 45 total blocks, eight service aces and a team-high hitting percentage of .461.
As a part of Wildcat Women's Sports Weekend, sponsored by N Club and Center Court, admission will be free to the general public for all matches.
