Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Western Kentucky
Wildcats Lose to Western Kentucky in Close Match, 3-1
9/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 17, 2004
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EVANSTON, Ill. -
After easily winning their opening match against Villanova, 3-0, the `Cats lost to a tough Western Kentucky team, 3-1, in a close, hard-fought match. NU falls to 5-4 on the season, while the Hilltoppers improve to 9-1.
"Western Kentucky is a great team," Head Coach Keylor Chan said. "We need to get in and practice harder and get better at some things before Big Ten season."
The `Cats edged Western Kentucky in a tight game one as the two teams battled back and forth before NU won, 30-28.
The highlight of the opening frame came when senior co-captain Drew Robertson went air-borne for a ball that ricocheted off the net and was almost certainly headed out of bounds in favor of Western Kentucky. Robertson punched her left hand through the air, somehow saving the ball, as it grazed the top of the net, traveling back to the Hilltoppers' side before landing for the kill and a 12-9 lead.
As the lead changed hands multiple times, junior outside hitter Julie Purcell recorded two-consecutive kills midway through the game to give NU some breathing room at 18-16. Even as Purcell continued to pepper the Hilltoppers with kills -- she led NU's offense with 16 kills -- Western Kentucky climbed back into the game and eventually took the lead, 27-26.
Just as captain Drew Robertson wowed the crowd earlier when NU needed her most, fellow captain Christie Gardner led by example with a huge service ace that knotted the game back up at 27-27. NU went on to win, 30-28.
In game two, Western Kentucky played the kind of volleyball that saw them dominate No. 13 Stanford in game one of its earlier match. The Hilltoppers had an impressive hitting percentage of .387 en route to beating the `Cats, 30-17.
At the intermission though, the `Cats collected themselves and treated the Wildcat faithful in Welsh-Ryan Arena to another heart-stopper in game three.
"It was good to see us come back after game two and play like we know we can," Robertson said. "We just need to play more consistent volleyball."
NU's offense appeared to be shot out of a cannon in game three as they jumped out to a 10-5 lead on the strength of Gardner's nearly unstoppable jump serve. The Hilltoppers could not find the answer to Gardner early on, as she recorded one service ace, along with keying the `Cats to seven consecutive points.
Western Kentucky eventually corralled Gardner's serve, went on a run of its own and took the lead, 15-13. With the `Cats trailing 16-18, it was Gardner's chance to shine once again. Her service game helped NU tie the game at 18-18. With the game later tied at 24-24, Chan made a substitution and put sophomore Lauren Greenwood back to serve. Greenwood, who has been called upon to serve in many critical spots this season, surgically positioned a beautiful serve right to where the NU coaching staff wanted for a service ace and NU took the lead 25-24.
A block by junior Courtnie Paulus and freshman Brittney Aldridge had the `Cats sitting on a 27-25 lead. But the Hilltoppers showed the toughness that has them at a 9-1 record on the year, as they won in a squeaker, 31-29.
NU went on to drop game four, 30-24, evening up their record to 1-1 on the day. The `Cats are next in action in the closing game of the Wildcat Classic tomorrow evening at 7 p.m. against No. 13 Stanford.
