Northwestern University Athletics
Friday, September 1
Durham, N.C.
6 p.m.
Northwestern
3
at
0
Duke
Northwestern Sweeps Undefeated Duke
9/1/2017 8:58:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
DURHAM, N.C. — Northwestern topped undefeated Duke in a three-set sweep Friday night at Cameron Indoor Stadium.
The Blue Devils, who received 10 votes in the most recent AVCA poll, were felled in part by the sustained hitting percentage performance of the Wildcats (4-1). Northwestern sustained a season-best .394 clip after committing only nine attacking errors.
This was the second match of the day in which Northwestern topped an undefeated opponent and the fifth-straight contest this season in which the 'Cats have posted a higher hitting percentage than their opponent.
Northwestern won 25-21, 25-22, 25-22.
Three Wildcats had remarkably unblemished performances against Duke. Led by senior middle blocker Gabrielle Hazen's .700 clip (8 K, 1 E, 10 TAs), first-year outside Nia Robinson (.500; 15 K, 2 E, 26 TAs) and the performance of senior outside Symone Abbott (.325; 15 K, 2 E, 40 TAs), NU was able to record the start-to-finish defeat of Duke.
Northwestern was able to do what they weren't able to do against South Carolina — win the first set. Led by a phenomenal .433 clip in the match opener, the 'Cats topped Duke, 25-21. Hazen had a pair of digs and a pair of blocks in the effort.
Despite NU's proclivity toward getting a lead in the first set, the 'Cats were barren in that prowess in the beginning of the second set as Duke quickly and decisively took a 15-9 advantage. Northwestern continued to trail until later in the match, when a Blue Devil attack error gave NU the 21-20 edge.
The score would remain back-and-forth until a Symone Abbott kill and a Sarah Johnson ace put the second set in the Wildcats' favor, 25-22.
In the third set, Hazen, Abbott, and Robinson combined for 14 kills in another back-and-forth affair. The Blue Devils attempted a late run but were met with strong resistance by the #B1GCats, who finished the set with a 25-22 final.
The Wildcats will play North Carolina-Wilmington Saturday morning at 11 a.m. CT as NU seeks to finish the Duke Invitational with an unblemished, 3-0 mark. The match, like all the rest in Durham, will be streamed on WatchESPN.
NOTABLE: After recording a .471 hitting percentage in Friday's opener against South Carolina, Nia Robinson upped the Wildcats' mark of best attack percentage (min. 12 kills) this season with her .500 performance … Symone Abbott's and Nia Robinson's 15 kills are tied for the most in a three-set match this season for Northwestern … Symone Abbott's .325 hitting percentage was a season best … As of the evening of Sept. 1, Abbott's 4.22 kills per set rate is tops in the Big Ten (min. 10 sets) … Lexi Pitsas tied her career-high with 11 digs … The Wildcats improve to 2-0 in black jerseys.
The Blue Devils, who received 10 votes in the most recent AVCA poll, were felled in part by the sustained hitting percentage performance of the Wildcats (4-1). Northwestern sustained a season-best .394 clip after committing only nine attacking errors.
This was the second match of the day in which Northwestern topped an undefeated opponent and the fifth-straight contest this season in which the 'Cats have posted a higher hitting percentage than their opponent.
Northwestern won 25-21, 25-22, 25-22.
Three Wildcats had remarkably unblemished performances against Duke. Led by senior middle blocker Gabrielle Hazen's .700 clip (8 K, 1 E, 10 TAs), first-year outside Nia Robinson (.500; 15 K, 2 E, 26 TAs) and the performance of senior outside Symone Abbott (.325; 15 K, 2 E, 40 TAs), NU was able to record the start-to-finish defeat of Duke.
Northwestern was able to do what they weren't able to do against South Carolina — win the first set. Led by a phenomenal .433 clip in the match opener, the 'Cats topped Duke, 25-21. Hazen had a pair of digs and a pair of blocks in the effort.
Despite NU's proclivity toward getting a lead in the first set, the 'Cats were barren in that prowess in the beginning of the second set as Duke quickly and decisively took a 15-9 advantage. Northwestern continued to trail until later in the match, when a Blue Devil attack error gave NU the 21-20 edge.
The score would remain back-and-forth until a Symone Abbott kill and a Sarah Johnson ace put the second set in the Wildcats' favor, 25-22.
In the third set, Hazen, Abbott, and Robinson combined for 14 kills in another back-and-forth affair. The Blue Devils attempted a late run but were met with strong resistance by the #B1GCats, who finished the set with a 25-22 final.
The Wildcats will play North Carolina-Wilmington Saturday morning at 11 a.m. CT as NU seeks to finish the Duke Invitational with an unblemished, 3-0 mark. The match, like all the rest in Durham, will be streamed on WatchESPN.
NOTABLE: After recording a .471 hitting percentage in Friday's opener against South Carolina, Nia Robinson upped the Wildcats' mark of best attack percentage (min. 12 kills) this season with her .500 performance … Symone Abbott's and Nia Robinson's 15 kills are tied for the most in a three-set match this season for Northwestern … Symone Abbott's .325 hitting percentage was a season best … As of the evening of Sept. 1, Abbott's 4.22 kills per set rate is tops in the Big Ten (min. 10 sets) … Lexi Pitsas tied her career-high with 11 digs … The Wildcats improve to 2-0 in black jerseys.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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/ Women's Volleyball
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