Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Set To Face Familiar Opposition In Chicago Challenge
9/4/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 4, 2003
EVANSTON, Ill. - After traveling to Georgia Tech to open the season, the Northwestern volleyball team welcomes a trip to nearby Illinois-Chicago this weekend. The Wildcats will take on two local teams at the tournament, Loyola and Illinois-Chicago, while also going head-to-head with Southeastern conference member Ole Miss. The Wildcats hold a 31-6 advantage against the opposition in the tournament, which is scheduled to be held at the Flames Athletic Center, Friday and Saturday.
All-America candidate Erika Lange (Orland Park, Ill./Carl Sandburg) leads the 'Cats into action this weekend. Lange paced Northwestern at the Georgia Tech Courtyard by Marriott Classic last weekend, as she recorded 45 kills, 15 total blocks and a .360 hitting percentage. Also stepping up for the Wildcats was junior outside hitter Jill Buschur (New Bremen, Ohio/New Bremen). Buschur put down a team-high 46 kills last weekend, while also adding 24 digs and five service aces to the NU effort. All-Big Ten candidate Drew Robertson (Long Beach, Calif./Long Beach Poly) led the 'Cats in assists with 139. For their exceptional play throughout the tournament, Lange and Robertson were named to the all-tournament team.
Last season, with a very talented team, Loyola defeated the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena by a score of 3-1. Although the Ramblers finished last season with a record of 27-5, they did not get a bid to take part in the NCAA tournament. Led by senior Jamie Plass and junior Lauren Holbrook, Loyola hopes to take their game to the next level this season. Plass led the way last weekend for the Ramblers at the Best Western Invitational in Tampa, Fla. She tallied 27 kills, 12 total blocks and had a team-high hitting percentage of .418.
The Wildcats are scheduled to face Loyola in the first match of the tournament, which is to be played at 5 p.m.
"The Northwestern-Loyola series has been a battle for the past few seasons," said head coach Keylor Chan. "Loyola should have been an NCAA tournament team last year and returns a solid nucleus. They came out on top in our match last season, but we are looking to reclaim the bragging rights tomorrow night."
Northwestern will face Ole Miss for just the second time in school history on Saturday. The last time the two teams squared off was in September of 1998, when the Wildcats defeated the Rebels by a score of 3-0. Ole Miss is led by junior outside hitter Elena Garcia. Last weekend at the Baylor Classic, Garcia recorded 36 kills and 41 digs for the Rebels.
The match pairing Northwestern and Ole Miss is set to begin at noon on Saturday and will be the second match for the 'Cats.
"Ole Miss is a scrappy team, that will keep us on our toes from the first point," said Chan. "They play tough and, as we saw last week in Alabama, are an SEC team that can do some good things."
In the final match of the tournament, Northwestern will face host Illinois-Chicago. Much like in the Loyola match, local bragging rights will be on the line. The Flames fell in their first three matches of the season at the Chippewa Classic last weekend, but won't let that affect them on their home court this weekend. Senior outside hitter Teaha Shepperd recorded 46 kills and 30 digs last weekend to lead her team. For her efforts, she was named to the all-tournament team.
The Flames and the Wildcats will face off in the final match of the tournament, which will be played at 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.
"UIC is the host and will have the home-court advantage," said Chan. "We expect them to come out strong and give us a run for our money. They are well coached and should be much improved from a year ago."
