Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan State
Northwestern Falls at Michigan State, 3-1
10/3/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Oct. 3, 2007
broadcast highlights from the Big Ten Network.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Northwestern made its Big Ten Network debut Wednesday night at Michigan State, but it was the Spartans earning their debut win in the Big Ten this season with a four-game victory over the Wildcats, 30-28, 30-27, 25-30, 30-26.
With the loss, Northwestern falls to 10-6 overall on the season, 1-4 in the Big Ten. Michigan State's victory improved the hosts to 10-7 on the year, 1-4 in the conference.
Michigan State opened an early 6-1 lead in the match, but Northwestern went on a 6-1 run of its own featuring a kill and an ace from Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) and a solo block by Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) to knot the score, 7-7. MSU held mini-leads throughout the game, with NU always reeling the Spartans back in. The hosts edged out to a four-point cushion late in the game, 23-19, and Keylor Chan called his first timeout.
The Wildcats brought the deficit back down to one, 24-23, after aces by Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) and Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg), along with a pair of kills by senior middle blocker Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire). NU used its second timeout a few points later with the MSU advantage at two, 27-25. The Spartans got the first point out of the break, but back-to-back kills by Gray and Aldridge again pulled the 'Cats within one, 28-27, and MSU used its first timeout of the game before winning the first game, 30-28.
Game two was much tighter, with neither team taking more than a three-point lead and Northwestern leading, 15-14, heading into the TV timeout. The teams continued to exchange points, ties and the lead until a quick 3-0 spurt gave Michigan State a 25-23 lead and Chan called his first timeout. That lead became three, 28-25, leading to NU's second timeout.
Michigan State earned four game points, 29-25, but back-to-back kills by Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) and Gray caused an MSU timeout. An NU service error out of the break ended the game, 30-27, and gave Michigan State a 2-0 lead in the match.
After the Spartans hit a blistering .606 (23-3-33) in their two-point victory in game one, the Wildcats had seven blocks in game two to hold the hosts to a much more human .229 (15-7-35).
Northwestern held an early three-point advantage in game three, 8-5, thanks to a trio of quick kills from Gray (two) and Anderson. Michigan State fought its way back into the lead by the Big Ten Network midway break, 15-13. The teams traded points out of the commercial until a 3-0 NU run comprised of a kill by Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection), a block by Aldridge and Gray, and a Spartan ball handling error gave the 'Cats a 21-19 lead and caused an MSU timeout.
NU's lead became three, 24-21, after Paulus earned an emphatic kill off a scrambling Michigan State free ball, forcing the Spartans to use their second timeout. Northwestern continued to hold MSU at arm's length, ending the game, 30-25, on a kill by Anderson and a solo block from Hyser.
Anderson had seven kills in the third game for the 'Cats.
Game four was just as tight as the three before, but a 6-3 mini-run from Michigan State gave the hosts a 15-11 lead during the TV timeout. MSU's run continued after the break, and Chan used a timeout with the NU deficit at six, 17-11.
Coming out of the timeout, Aldridge took over, racking up four kills and a block with Paulus to help orchestrate a 5-1 NU run to close the gap to two, 18-16, and force an MSU timeout. Northwestern continued to fight, drawing to within one, 23-22, on another Aldridge kill. The Wildcats burned their second timeout of the game trailing by two, 25-23, but could not arrest the Spartans momentum, falling in the game, 30-26, and in the match, 3-1.
Aldridge finished with a .500 hitting percentage (12-2-20) and 10 blocks for her second-career double-double. Her eight block assists give her 344 for her career, moving her into fourth-place all-time at NU.
Anderson led the Wildcats with 16 kills, while Gray had 15. Nobilio had a match-best 15 digs.
Northwestern returns to action at 1 p.m. CT Sunday, Oct. 7, at No. 16 Michigan in its second-straight match televised by the Big Ten Network. The match will be same-day delay broadcast beginning at 4 p.m. CT Sunday afternoon.
