Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Purdue
Wildcats Take First Game, Boilermakers Take Match, 3-1
10/12/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 12, 2007
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Northwestern dominated during the first game of Friday night's Big Ten match at Purdue, but the Boilermakers came back to win the next three games on their home court to take a 3-1 decision over the Wildcats, 22-30, 30-28, 30-21, 30-25.
The loss drops Northwestern to 10-8 on the year, 1-6 in the Big Ten. Purdue improves to 11-7 overall, 4-3 in the conference with its win.
The Wildcats roared out to start the match, beginning on a 6-2 run capped by two Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) aces. Northwestern continued to push its advantage, forcing Purdue's first timeout of the night when NU's lead hit seven, 15-8. Senior Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) had three kills during that stretch, while Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) and Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) each added a pair.
Purdue got its deficit back down to five, 21-16, but Northwestern came back with kills by Gray, libero Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) and Paulus along with a block from Aldridge and Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) to make its lead eight, 25-17, and cause Purdue's second timeout of the game. The 'Cats rode the eight-point train into the finish line, winning game one, 30-22.
Northwestern hit .395 (21-4-43) as a team in the first game, with Anderson recording a team-high six. With her first kill of Friday's match, Anderson claimed eighth place on NU's career kills list all by herself.
The Wildcats earned a three-point lead, 8-5, early in game two helped in part by a pair of Anderson kills, but the Boilermakers came flying back to take a three-point lead of their own, 13-10, and force a Northwestern timeout. The 'Cats immediately ripped the lead back, 15-14, after a solo block by Anderson and a block from Aldridge and Glab.
A Paulus kill later in the game gave NU a 20-19 lead, and moved her into 16th place in school history with 1,060 career kills. The Paulus termination was the origination of a 3-0 Wildcats' spurt that led to the Boilermakers' second timeout of the game. NU burned its second timeout when its lead shrank back to one, 25-24. The teams exchanged sideouts down the stretch until Purdue ended the game on a 3-0 run to even the match with a 30-28 victory.
Paulus had eight kills on a .667 hitting percentage (8-0-12) in the second game for NU.
Game three saw Purdue take several mini-leads with Northwestern consistently reeling the hosts back in. Trailing 15-11, the Wildcats went on a 5-1 run to knot the score, 16-16, on a pair of kills each by Paulus and Anderson along with one termination by Aldridge. Purdue immediately used a 3-0 spurt to take a 19-16 lead and cause an NU timeout.
Northwestern called its second timeout when its deficit reached six, 25-19, but could not stop Purdue in a 30-21 game three loss.
Game four was tight in the early going as well until a 5-2 Purdue run gave the hosts a 17-13 advantage and caused an NU timeout. The run continued, and the Wildcats called their second timeout of the game with the deficit at six, 19-13. Immediately out of the second break, NU reeled off three-straight points on an Anderson kill, a block by Aldridge and Paulus, and a Purdue hitting error to cut the Boilers' lead in half, 19-16, and force them to use their first timeout.
Hyser then caught fire, blocking two attacks while killing two of her own to pull NU all the way back within one, 23-22. Northwestern could not sustain the momentum, however, falling in game four, 30-25.
Anderson had 20 kills in the match, finishing the night with 1,324 for her career. Her 20 kills tie her season high, which she has reached three times this year. Paulus added 17 kills, while Hyser had 15 kills and a team-best .417 hitting percentage (15-5-24).
Glab had 55 assists and 11 digs for a double-double, while Nobilio finished with a team-best 21 digs and a career-high seven assists. Emma Pollert (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) added 10 digs for NU.
Northwestern returns to action at 6 p.m. CT tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 13, at Indiana.
