Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern Faces Tourney-Tested Slate in Tucson
8/30/2005 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 30, 2005
Northwestern Tournament Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After opening the season with a victory on the purple surface at Welsh-Ryan Arena, Northwestern travels to Tucson, Ariz., for the Four Points University Plaza Wildcat Classic Sept. 1-3.
Northwestern opens with 2004 Big South champion Winthrop at 9 p.m. CT Thursday night, Sept. 1. The Wildcats then face two ranked opponents in No. 20 Georgia Tech (2 p.m. CT, Sept. 2) and the No. 17-ranked host Wildcats (9 p.m. CT, Sept. 3). All three schools participated in the NCAA Tournament last season.
Northwestern has never faced Winthrop before, and trails both the Yellow Jacket and Arizona series, 1-0.
Northwestern earned a 1-0 record on the 2005 campaign with a 3-0 defeat of UW-Green Bay Saturday night. Sophomores Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) and Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) led NU with 12 kills each while junior transfer Cassie McLaughlin (Cary, Ill./Cary Grove) hit a team-best .571 in her NU debut.
Junior Lauren Greenwood (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) earned her first career start at setter, responding with a career-best 41 assists.
Winthrop began its season with sweeps of William & Mary and Elon. Reigning Big South Conference Player of the Year Mary Hock led the Eagles with 30 kills over the two matches.
No. 20 Georgia Tech has yet to play this season, but returns four starters from its 27-7 2004 squad that reached the Round of 16 in the NCAA Tournament and went a perfect 16-0 in ACC play. The Yellow Jackets are led by All-America setter Lindsey Labband.
No. 17 Arizona also will see its first action of the year this weekend. The host Wildcats are coming off their ninth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, and return two-time All-American Kim Glass and three-time All-Pac-10 selection Bre Ladd.
