Northwestern Earns Chicago Challenge Crown With Sweep of UIC

9/3/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball

Sept. 3, 2011

Box Score

Site: Chicago, Ill. (Flames Athletic Center)
Score: Northwestern 3, UIC 0
Records: NU (5-0), UIC (5-1)
Next NU Event: Sept. 9-10 -- at Magnolia Invitational (Oxford, Miss.)

CHICAGO -- Northwestern swept UIC Saturday night in the championship match of the Chicago Challenge, claiming its eighth crown in 11 attempts in the local tournament. With the 25-13, 25-20, 25-15 final score, NU now has won its first 15 sets of the year -- the Wildcats' best streak since they won their first 22 sets in 1984.

Northwestern has won back-to-back Chicago Challenge championships and is 5-0 to start a season for the first time since 1997.

Sophomore Stephanie Holthus was named the Challenge's MVP while setter Madalyn Shalter also earned an All-Tournament team berth. Holthus was the MVP and Shalter was an All-Tournament team choice at last week's season-opening Utah Classic, as well. Also of note was an All-Tournament team berth for Loyola (Chicago)'s Laura Purcell, who is the younger sister of former Northwestern starter Julie Purcell (2003-06).

Holthus was exceptional Saturday night, earning 17 kills on 39 swings for a .436 hitting percentage. She also made seven digs and added a block and an ace. Shalter recorded 33 assists in setting Northwestern to a .333 team hitting percentage. She contributed three kills, digs and blocks to accent her setting.

Freshman Yewande Akanbi contributed nine kills on 16 swings with one error for a .500 hitting percentage. Several of her kills were timber-rattling floor denters.

Northwestern built an early 15-8 lead in the first set Saturday, causing a UIC timeout at that juncture in the match. Later on, Holthus annihilated an attack, bowling over the UIC libero with the powerful termination to make the lead nine, 20-11. Katie Dutchman put NU up 1-0 in the match with a set-ending ace.

UIC was a scrappy bunch in set two, getting touches of many of Northwestern's attacks and relentlessly digging everything. The Wildcats began to pull away late in the period, forcing a timeout with the score 22-17 after an emphatic Holthus slam. Another Dutchman ace ended the second as well.

NU built a 9-3 lead in the third set and never looked back, eventually winning the set by 10, 25-15, and the match in a sweep.

Northwestern returns to action Friday and Saturday, Sept. 9-10, at the Magnolia Invitational hosted by Ole Miss is Oxford, Miss.

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