Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan State
Northwestern Wins Wild Match at Michigan State, 3-2
10/7/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 7, 2006
Box Score
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- In a wild match featuring a pair of blowout games and a trio of tight ones, Northwestern prevailed in a five-game match over Michigan State Saturday night at Jenison Field House, 19-30, 30-21, 27-30, 30-26, 15-11.
With the win, Northwestern improves to 8-7 overall on the season, 2-4 in the Big Ten. With the loss, Michigan State falls to 11-5 on the year, 2-4 in the conference.
Michigan State rushed out to the first lead of the match, using a 7-2 run to take a six-point lead, 12-6, and force NU head coach Keylor Chan to use a timeout. The Spartans continued to pour on the pressure, extending their lead to 10, 17-7. The Wildcats were able to bring that advantage down to seven, 22-15, thanks in part to a solo block and kill by junior Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier).
From there, Michigan State ran away for a first-game win, 30-19.
Game two began much better for the Wildcats, with senior Lauren Greenwood (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) serving up an ace for the first point. With pinpoint killing, NU edged out to a 9-6 lead to cause an MSU timeout. Two kills each from Anderson and sophomore Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) and a kill from junior Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) aided in the start.
Later on, Northwestern went on a 6-0 run to open an eight-point lead, 17-9. This time, two kills from Anderson and two from junior Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) were instrumental in the spurt. The Wildcats continued to keep the Spartans at arms length, extending the lead to 10, 25-15, on Greenwood's second ace of the game.
Northwestern closed out the game, 30-21, with Hyser recording three of NU's last five points on kills to even the match, 1-1. The Wildcats hit a blistering .400 (22-4-45) as a team in the game.
Keeping with the theme of the match, game three began with a big run and this time it was Michigan State's turn. The Spartans took an early five-point advantage, 8-3, to force a Wildcat timeout. Also just like the first two games, once that early lead was established, it got bigger. Northwestern used its second timeout when the MSU advantage became nine, 16-7.
When the deficit became 10, 23-13, Northwestern launched a 7-0 run to pull itself all the way back within three, 23-20. A pair of Anderson aces and a big block by Paulus and Aldridge contributed to the run. A little later, a block by Hyser and Paulus made the lead just two, 24-22, forcing Michigan State's second timeout.
The Spartans bounced back after the run became 10-1 and the lead became just a single point, 24-23, to hold off the Wildcats and take a 2-1 lead in the match, 30-27.
Game four could not have been more different than its three predecessors. The game was tight from the get-go until an Anderson kill and Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) solo block gave the Wildcats a three-point lead, 13-10, and the Spartans used a timeout. Michigan State then put up the next three points to knot the score, 13-13.
NU pushed its lead back out to four, 19-15, after a trio of quick Aldridge kills, and MSU came right back to within one, 19-18. The Wildcats then went on another 3-0 run with kills by Anderson, Paulus and a block by Paulus and Hyser to take a 22-18 lead and cause the Spartans' second timeout of the game.
After MSU reeled NU back within two, 24-22, the Wildcats ran away with a 30-26 game four win, capped by Anderson's 18th kill of the match.
Game five began with a Greenwood ace for Northwestern before the teams began trading points and ties. Trailing 5-4, the Wildcats went on a 3-0 spurt with a pair of Anderson kills and a solo block by Aldridge to take a 7-5 lead and cause a Michigan State timeout.
MSU tied the game, 7-7, before an Anderson kill put NU ahead 8-7 going into the side switch. The Spartans then used their second timeout of the game when a pair of Paulus kills pushed the Wildcats out in front by three, 11-8. Michigan State never recovered, and Northwestern won game five, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.
Anderson finished with a team-best 22 kills and 13 digs for a double-double. Joining Anderson in double-digits for kills were Paulus (14), Julie Purcell (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) (12) and Aldridge (12). Jurivich finished with 58 assists, one shy of her career high. Freshman Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) notched 10 digs in the match.
The Wildcats served up 10 aces in the match, with Anderson contributing four and Paulus three.
Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. CT Friday, Oct. 13, against No. 2 Penn State at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The match will be tape-delay televised on ComcastSportsNet Chicago.
