Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Open 2008 Season at Chicago Challenge
8/26/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Aug. 26, 2008
Northwestern Volleyball Weekly Release - Aug. 26, 2008 
Opening Serve
Northwestern opens up the 2008 volleyball season down the road at Loyola University as part of the 2008 Chicago Challenge. The Wildcats will meet up with Illinois-Chicago at 4:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 29, followed by the host Ramblers taking on DePaul at 7 p.m. The losers of the Friday games will meet at 4:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 30, in the consolation game, while the winners will meet at 7 p.m. that night in the championship game.
Scouting Illinois-Chicago
The Flames coming into the year looking to regroup from a 15-16 finish in 2007, including a 6-10 mark in the Horizon League. UIC figures to improve on its sixth-place conference finish, losing only two starters, and look to rely on their powerful junior duo of outside hitter Katerina Hanackova and middle blocker Lana Lobdell. Hanackova led the squad in kills in 2007 with 358 and was fourth in hitting percentage at .171. Lobdell was the Flames' top blocker, recording 119 including 31 solo blocks, and was third on the team in kills at 304. Head coach Nancy Mueller is in her fifth season at Illinois-Chicago, posting a 54-73 (.425) record with the Flames. Overall, she is in her 10th season as a head coach with a 160-133 (.546) record.
Scouting DePaul
The Blue Demons faced a rough season in 2007, finishing the year 7-21 and found themselves 13th in the Big East with a 2-12 record. If DePaul is going to compete for a conference championship, it will have to do so with a young squad, led by sophomore middle blocker Jacie Fiedler. Fiedler put together an impressive freshman campaign for the Blue Demons, leading the team in blocks (310), hitting percentage (.307) and solo blocks (15) while finishing second in total blocks (60). Junior outside hitter Sarah Cullen also figures to have another solid outing after leading the team in digs (256) while finishing second in kills (212). Amy Kleyweg Hardison is in her third season at the helm of the Blue Devils with an overall record of 12-46 (.207).
Scouting Loyola (Chicago)
The host Ramblers enter the year with an experienced team determined to improve on their 9-21 finish last season. Loyola found itself in an eighth-place tie in the Horizon League standings at 4-12, but aims to move up thanks to five returning starters plus junior libero Alyse Serritella who led the squad in digs (559). Junior middle blocker Dana VanDiggelen paced the Ramblers in kills in 2007 with 368 and was second on the team in blocks (104), and will be rejoined by sophomore middle blocker Mallory Curran who led Loyola in hitting percentage (.210) and ranked second among the returners in kills and blocks. Head coach Marcie Wolbeck is in her fourth season with the Ramblers and fifth overall, posting a 36-55 (.396) record during her time in Rogers Park and is 46-73 (.387) overall.
Series Information
Northwestern historically has fared extremely well against the other three teams competing in the Chicago Challenge, posting a combined record of 54-14-1. The Wildcats are 23-4 all-time against opening round opponent Illinois-Chicago, including a 3-0 victory in last year's Chicago Challenge championship in Evanston, and have won the last eight meetings against the Flames. NU is 16-7-1 against DePaul and currently has a 13-match winning streak dating back to 1980. The last time the two teams met was in 2005 when the `Cats took a 3-0 decision on the Blue Demons' home court. The Wildcats are 15-3 against Loyola, opening up the 2007 season with a 3-0 victory over the Ramblers, and own a two-match winning streak.
Wildcats Picked Seventh in Big Ten Preseason Poll
As the 2008 season gets ready to get underway, Northwestern finds itself right where it finished in 2007. The Wildcats were picked to finish seventh in the preseason Big Ten volleyball poll after posting a 9-11 record last season. Defending national champion Penn State earned top bidding, followed by Minnesota, Wisconsin, Purdue, Illinois and Michigan. The `Cats finished ahead of Michigan State, Ohio State, Indiana and Iowa. The results come by way of voting among all of the Big Ten head coaches.
For the complete weekly release, click here.
