Northwestern University Athletics
Wildcats Open Lengthy Homestand at Welsh-Ryan Arena
9/11/2014 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
| 33rd Wildcat Classic |
|
| Dates | September 12-13 |
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Ill. |
| Live Stats | vs. Youngstown State | vs. Loyola | vs. Virginia |
| Watch Live | Youngstown State | Loyola | Virginia |
| Social Media | @NUVball  | Northwestern Volleyball  | @nu_volleyball  |
| Match Notes | Northwestern (PDF) |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- After opening the 2014 season with five wins in six matches away from home, Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday where it will play its next nine matches over four consecutive weekends.
Setting the Scene
Northwestern continues its 38th season of intercollegiate volleyball this weekend when it hosts the first three contests in a nine-match homestand at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The 'Cats welcome Loyola (Chicago), Virginia and Youngstown State to Evanston for the 33rd installment of the Wildcat Classic this weekend.
Protect This House
The Wildcats were successful in defending their home floor a year ago. Northwestern won 11 of its 16 home matches with several big victories along the way. The 'Cats knocked off No. 17 Ohio State in a nationally-televised match on Oct. 16 and trailed Illinois, 2-0, on Oct. 23 before rallying to top the Illini, in five sets. NU also bested No. 18 Purdue to complete a season sweep of the Boilermakers on Nov. 15. All five of Northwestern's home losses came against Big Ten teams ranked 17th or better.
Five-Set Success
After playing in eight five-set matches in 2013 (6-2), the Wildcats were pushed to the limit in the first opportunity in 2014. Northwestern dropped the first two sets on opening night to Colorado before storming back to win three in a row. The Buffaloes led the decisive fifth set, 13-10, but Northwestern closed the night on an emphatic 7-2 run to win the match. Yewande Akanbi tallied three crucial kills down the stretch to help complete the comeback.
Presence in the Poll
Northwestern received votes the last two AVCA top 25 coaches polls that were released Sept. 1 and 8, respectively. The Wildcats received votes in four editions of the poll a year ago, most recently on Nov. 18, 2013 following wins against 18th-ranked Purdue and Indiana at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The `Cats have not been in the top 25 since Nov. 15, 2010 when they were recognized for the eighth consecutive week.
San Diego Stars
While no All-Tournament team was formally recognized at the USD-SDSU 2014 Challenge, several Wildcats posted noteworthy performances over the weekend. Katie Dutchman, who was playing near her hometown of Del Mar, Calif., led Northwestern with 3.2 kills per set and a hitting percentage of .410. Freshman setter Taylor Tashima averaged 11 assists per set for the second weekend in a row to guide the offense, while she helped out on the defensive side with 2.6 digs per set.
Who's The New Guy?
Northwestern has a new assistant coach on the bench this season, Joe Julkowski. The Carol Stream, Ill., native comes to Evanston after spending the last two seasons as an assistant at Northern Illinois. Julkowski played at Lakeland College from 2006-10 when he dotted his name across the program's record book. He was a three-time National Collegiate Volleyball Federation (NCVF) All-America honoree, a four-time All-Wisconsin Volleyball Conference (WVC) performer and a two-time WVC MVP. The program's all-time leader in career kills and aces, Julkowski helped the Muskies win the 2008 NCVF Division I national championship and two additional appearances in the national finals (2007 and 2010). Cori Cooper is also new on the Wildcats staff this fall. The Lake Forest College graduate serves as the Director of Operations.
Scouting Youngstown State
For only the third time in the 40-year history of the program and the first time since 2001, Youngstown State has opened the season with a 7-1 record. Senior outside hitter Lexi Elger has been the most prolific scorer for the Penguins thus far with an average of 3.56 kills per set. Senior middle blocker Shannon Watson has also played an integral role in YSU's early-season success. Watson is averaging 1.24 blocks per set to go along with 2.76 kills. On Monday, Watson was named the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week after averaging 1.31 blocks per set during the Duquesne/Robert Morris Invitational. Friday's match will be the first ever between the Wildcats and Penguins.
Scouting Loyola
Crosstown-rival Loyola comes to Evanston with three wins and three losses on its ledger this season. Sophomore outside hitter Morgan Reardon has paced the Ramblers offensively with 3.71 kills per set, while no other player is averaging greater than 1.86. The Joliet, Ill., native also leads the team with nine service aces and ranks fourth in both digs (2.29) and blocks (0.52). Northwestern leads Loyola in the all-time series, 17-4, and the two squads have not matched up since the 2011 campaign when the Wildcats won in three sets on Sept. 2.
Scouting Virginia
Virginia enters the Wildcat Classic with an unbeaten record through six matches this fall, marking the first time since 2003 that the Cavaliers have been unbeaten this far into the season. Junior Natalie Bausback has been named the tournament MVP after both of Virginia's first two weekends. Bausback is averaging 2.61 kills per set at a clip of .435 and 1.57 blocks per set in the early going. Former Northwestern assistant coach Aaron Smith (2009-11) is now in his third season in the same role at Virginia. Saturday's match marks the third contest ever between NU and UVA with the Wildcats leading the series, 2-0.
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