Balanced Effort Leads Northwestern Over NDSU

9/16/2016 5:24:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score

Box Score | Season Stats

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa – A balanced and efficient effort led Northwestern over North Dakota State in four sets in the opener of the UNI Tournament Friday afternoon.

Four Northwestern players reached double-digit kills, including a career-high 12 from Rafae Strobos. Symone Abbott led the way with 16. She has led the team in that category in all 10 matches so far in 2016. Maddie Slater got back to her high-percentage ways, notching 10 kills, while hitting .625.

"With a 6-2, we are able to create more balance across the net and then in return, be a little bit bigger defensively," head coach Shane Davis said. "It gives us more opportunities to attack the ball in tougher situations."

Taylor Tashima and Caleigh Ryan took turns running the offense and spread the ball around to six different hitters. Tashima had 33 assists, while Ryan had 24.

Defensively, Northwestern held the Bison to .227 hitting, while collecting 10 blocks. Gabrielle Hazen led the way there with six. Six players recorded digs, with Kaitlin Tavarez registering a career-high 17.

Northwestern had seven aces, with Taylor Tashima and Rafae Strobos each serving three.

The Wildcats hit over .600 early in the match to build a 19-15 lead in the first set, but North Dakota State battled back to tie it at 24 before the 'Cats prevailed 27-25 to take a 1-0 lead.

Chicago's Big Ten Team took care of business in the second frame, winning 25-18, but North Dakota State rebounded by winning the third, 26-24. Northwestern trailed for the entirety of the set but rallied to tie it at 24 before NDSU scored the final two points.

Northwestern then held off a late Bison rally in the fourth to win 25-22 and take the match.

Play continues at the UNI Tournament tonight against Syracuse at 7 p.m.