Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Travel to Wisconsin for Wednesday Night Match
11/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Wisconsin and Illinois Match Notes in PDF Format
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Nov. 2, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern (8-14, 3-9 Big Ten) goes back on the road this week for a Wednesday, Nov. 3 match-up against Wisconsin (15-5, 9-3) before heading to Champaign, Ill. to face intra-state rival No. 25 Illinois (15-6, 7-5) Saturday, Nov. 6.
The 'Cats will attempt to even the score after being swept by both the Badgers and the Fighting Illini earlier this year. NU is coming off its season's third Big Ten win against Iowa.
Both Wisconsin and Illinois boast powerful offenses that rank in the top-five in Big Ten kills and hitting percentage. The Badgers rank fifth in the conference with a .251 hitting percentage. Their 16.52 average kills per game mark also has them at fifth-place in the Big Ten.
Individually, Wisconsin's Sheila Shaw is 10th in the Big Ten in hitting percentage at .313 over 44 games. She ranks eighth in total kills with 174. Shaw brings the wood on defense as well, ranking second in the Big Ten in blocks with an average of 1.36 per game. She has three solo blocks and 57 block assists on the year. The entire Badgers' unit ranks second in the conference in blocks as well, posting 133.0 total on the year with a 3.02 average per game.
NU will roll up against an even tougher offense when it travels to Illinois this weekend. The Fighting Illini are currently ranked third in hitting percentage and fourth in total kills in conference play.
Illinois' offense is extremely balanced and consistent, as they have three players in the top-10 in hitting percentage. Its premier player is Jessica Belter, who is hitting .350 with 170 kills in the Big Ten. The Illinois match marks the second time this season the 'Cats are appearing on television. The ESPN2 broadcast is set for 3 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 7 (tape-delay).
NU's edge against both teams comes in its strong defensive play. The 'Cats have totaled 35 solo blocks on the year to Wisconsin's 23 and Illinois' 20. NU has also out-digged their competition by totaling 719 compared to the Badgers' 705 and the Fighting Illini's 653.
Junior co-captain Christie Gardner (West Bend, Wis./West Bend) has excelled in the back row for the 'Cats this year. She currently ranks fifth in the conference with 202 digs and a 4.81 average per game. Her performance Oct. 16 against Indiana yielded her the fourth-best dig total in the Big Ten this season with 31 in five games.
After returning mid-season from a finger injury, senior middle blocker Leah Delcourt (Rock Island, Ill./Rock Island) leads the team with nine solo blocks to average 0.86 per game. The 'Cats spread their doses of defense around, as freshman Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) leads the team with 32 block assists and freshman Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) has an impressive eight solo blocks from her outside hitter position.
Multi-Dimensional
While Drew Robertson's position as a setter has her primarily focused on presenting her teammates with an opportunity to score, she is by no means a one-dimensional player. As of Oct. 30, Robertson has posted 11 double-doubles on the year--most recent coming against Iowa where she had 49 assists and 12 digs. Robertson has also recorded a rare triple-double Oct. 16 against Indiana when she lit the Hoosiers up for 11 kills, 27 digs and 57 assists. That performance is one of only three triple-doubles in the Big Ten this year. Robertson's service game also has been huge for the 'Cats this year, specifically her performance Oct. 16 against Indiana. In the five-game match, she recorded four service aces, tying her for the second-best total in the Big Ten this season.
Gardner Born to Dig
In 2003-04, Christie Gardner was a key offensive threat for the 'Cats, ranking fourth on the team with 290 kills and a 2.57 average. With the graduation of all-Big Ten performer Erika Lange and Iwona Lodzik, you would think Gardner would have been go-to weapon for NU's offense. Given Gardner's incredible athleticism though, Keylor Chan saw the potential for her to become a premier defender in the Big Ten. Gardner has not disappointed, excelling in the back row for the 'Cats this year. She currently ranks fifth in the conference with 202 digs and a 4.81 average per game. Her performance Oct. 16 against Indiana yielded Gardner the fourth-best dig total in the Big Ten this season with 31 in five games.
Team Defense
The 'Cats rank in the top half of the Big Ten when it comes to defense this year. Through 42 games, NU has recorded 35 solo blocks--second most in the conference. The 'Cats also have 126 block assists, giving them 98.0 total blocks on the year. Their 2.33 blocks per game average ranks eighth in the Big Ten. NU's 719 digs on the year have them at third in the conference, averaging 17.12 per game. The Wildcats' 109 digs Oct. 16 against Indiana earned them the third-best dig total in the Big Ten this season.
Set It and Forget It
Senior setter Drew Robertson has made her mark on the Northwestern record book in her four years wearing the Purple and White. Last season, the Long Beach, Calif. native recorded 1,463 assists, good for second place in Northwestern's all-time single-season record book. Robertson also has a firm hold on the top spot with 1,515 assists, which she accomplished her sophomore year. She most recently etched her name atop the Northwestern record books for all-time career assists with 4,789 by recording 49 against Iowa Oct. 30. She has averaged 37.1 assists per match through 22 contests this year. That puts her on pace to easily eclipse the 5,000 career-assists barrier by the end of the season, solidifying herself as one of the greatest players in NU's history.
