Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Indiana
Northwestern Outlasts Indiana in Four, 3-1
10/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 20, 2006
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Northwestern split the first two games of its match with Indiana Friday night at University Gym, but ran away with the final two to defeat the Hoosiers in four, 30-22, 25-30, 30-23, 30-18.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 10-8 overall, 4-5 in the Big Ten. NU has won its last four meetings with Indiana, all in four- or five-game fashion. The Hoosiers fall to 10-11 on the season, 1-8 in the conference with the loss.
The Wildcats opened up the first lead of the match with a 4-0 run early in game one to take a 9-6 lead. Juniors Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) and Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) combined on a block and classmate Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) served up an ace during the spurt.
Later on, a trio of Paulus kills and a pair from Anderson helped the Wildcats create a five-point lead, 16-11, to cause a Hoosier timeout. After Indiana brought the lead to four, 20-16, a 6-2 NU run capped by a Paulus ace put the Wildcats up eight, 26-18, and IU used its second timeout of the game.
An Anderson kill finished off game one in favor of Northwestern, 30-22.
In game two, it was Indiana making the first separation, forcing a Northwestern timeout after establishing a four-point lead, 11-7. The Wildcats pulled back within two, 14-12, after a block from Anderson and sophomore Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) and a kill by junior Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius), but the Hoosiers used a 4-0 run later in the game to take an 18-12 lead and force the 'Cats' second timeout of the game.
After IU made its lead seven, 25-18, a pair of kills by Jurivich, and a kill and solo block by Anderson brought NU back to within four, 26-22, and caused an Indiana timeout. The Hoosiers would not let the Wildcats complete the comeback, winning game two, 30-25, to even the match, 1-1.
Indiana took the first timeout of game three when Hyser and Anderson earned back-to-back kills followed by a Paulus ace for a 13-10 Northwestern lead. The Hoosiers stormed back to tie the game, 14-14, and the teams played close until a 6-2 Wildcats' run later on gave the visitors a four-point lead, 23-19, and caused the hosts to use a second timeout. Two Paulus kills and a block by Paulus and Aldridge helped propel the run.
A late 5-1 run helped by two Aldridge kills pushed Northwestern to a 30-23 game three win and a 2-1 lead in the match.
The Wildcats went on a 6-1 run early in game four, using two Julie Purcell (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) kills and a block by Purcell and Hyser to create a 10-4 advantage and force a Hoosier timeout.
Northwestern played its best volleyball of the night, extending its lead to 11, 20-9, before Indiana used its second timeout of the fourth game. A pair of Purcell kills ended the match with a 30-18 game four win for the Wildcats.
The 30-18 win matched NU's most dominating game victory in Big Ten play this year; the Wildcats defeated Iowa by the same score in the first game of their Sept. 29 match.
Anderson finished with a match-best 21 kills for NU, adding 12 digs for a double-double. Paulus had 16 kills and 13 digs for a double-double, as well. Purcell finished with a season-best 15 kills, while Hyser had 10 kills and a match-best .444 hitting percentage.
Jurivich finished with a match-high 56 assists, while reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had a match-best 25 digs. Senior Lauren Greenwood (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) added 11 digs for the 'Cats.
Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 21 at No. 14 Purdue.
