Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Illinois-Chicago
Northwestern Sweeps Illinois-Chicago, Captures Chicago Challenge Championship
8/25/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 25, 2007
Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern won its sixth Chicago Challenge championship Saturday evening at Welsh-Ryan Arena, sweeping Illinois-Chicago in the finals, 30-20, 30-26, 30-21.
The Wildcats have participated in the event eight times, winning their last two trips. The win Saturday night improves NU to 2-0 on the young season, while UIC falls to 1-1.
Northwestern set the tone early in the match, using a 16-2 run midway through the first game to jump out to a 24-9 lead. Senior Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) served up a trio of consecutive aces during the run. Illinois-Chicago earned some momentum toward to the end of the game, scoring 11 of the last 17 points before succumbing, 30-20.
Senior Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) hit .714 in game one (5-0-7) for the 'Cats.
Illinois-Chicago continued its mo' from the first game, taking a 14-7 lead early in game two. Northwestern responded with a 10-3 run to knot the score, 17-17, on a Paulus kill. With the score tied, 18-18, a pair of Anderson kills and a Paulus service ace aided NU in taking a four-point lead, 22-18.
Both teams exchanged points until Northwestern closed out game two, 30-26.
Junior Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) repeated Anderson's feat in the first game with three-straight service aces early in game three, helping Northwestern build a 10-5 advantage. The Wildcats maintained that spread until a 9-3 run late in the game gave them a commanding 27-18 lead.
Anderson closed out the game and the match with a kill six points later.
Paulus led Northwestern with 15 kills while hitting .464 (15-2-28). Anderson had a double-double with 13 kills and 12 digs. Her kill total now gives her 1,115 to move her past Kathy Burns (1984-87) and into 13th on Northwestern's career kills list.
Sophomore Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had a match-high 14 digs. Senior Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) racked up a match-best .667 hitting percentage (9-1-12). She was on pace to shatter her career-high percentage of .750 until her only error of the match came late in game three.
Hyser's four aces topped her previous career best of three set Friday night against Loyola. Coming into 2007, Hyser had never aced a team more than once. Northwestern finished with 25 aces as a team in its two games in the Challenge.
Nobilio and Anderson were named to the Chicago Challenge all-tournament team, and Paulus was tabbed as the event's MVP.
Northwestern returns to action at 9 p.m. CT Friday, August 31, at Loyola Marymount in the Four Points Sheraton LAX Classic.
Chicago Challenge Final Standings
1. Northwestern (2-0)
2. Illinois-Chicago (1-1)
3. Loyola (Chicago) (1-1)
4. DePaul (0-2)
Chicago Challenge All-Tournament Team
Jacie Fiedler, DePaul
Mallory Curran, Loyola (Chicago)
Cassie Sullivan, Illinois-Chicago
Katarina Hanackova, Illinois-Chicago
Lindsay Anderson, Northwestern
Kate Nobilio, Northwestern
MVP: Courtnie Paulus, Northwestern
