Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Eastern Illinois (Wildcat Classic)
Northwestern Opens Wildcat Classic With Sweep of Eastern Illinois
9/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 15, 2006
Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern opened its own Wildcat Classic Friday morning in Welsh-Ryan Arena with a sweep over Eastern Illinois, 30-16, 30-21, 30-22.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 4-3 overall on the season and 1-0 in the Classic. With the loss, Eastern Illinois falls to 5-3 and 0-1. The day's other first round match features Pittsburgh (9-2) against No. 24 Arizona (7-2) at noon.
Game one was close until Northwestern used a 6-1 run to open up a 17-12 lead and force an Eastern Illinois timeout. A Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) kill of an overpass capped the rally for the 'Cats.
Coming out of the break, Northwestern reeled off the next four points to take a nine-point advantage, 21-12. A kill by junior Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) and an ace by junior Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) helped spark what eventually became an 8-0 run spanning both sides of the timeout.
The Wildcats then ran away with game one, 30-16, scoring the final three points on Panther errors.
In game two, NU held an early four-point advantage, 8-4, before EIU came charging back to take a three-point lead, 15-12, and force Northwestern head coach Keylor Chan to use a timeout.
With the score then tied, 17-17, the Wildcats used a 7-1 run to take a commanding lead in the game. A pair of kills by sophomore Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) and one from junior Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) propelled the run.
Northwestern again extended its lead into the end of the game, eventually winning 30-21 on another Anderson ace.
In game three, EIU remained close early until two Paulus kills pushed NU ahead by four, 16-12. Later in the game, an ace from freshman Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) and a couple of Panther attack errors pushed NU's lead to eight, 23-15. From there, Northwestern would go on to sweep the match with a 30-22 game three victory.
Anderson led the Wildcats with 11 kills, notching a double-double with 11 digs as well. Her four aces in the match are a team high for the season. Freshman Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) paced NU with a match-high 15 digs.
The Wildcats held the Panthers to just an .017 hitting percentage as a team, recording 14 total blocks.
Northwestern returns to action at the Wildcat Classic at 7 p.m. tonight against Pittsburgh. Eastern Illinois will play at 5 p.m. tonight against No. 24 Arizona.
