Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Maryland
Sangiacomo, Wildcats Take Down Maryland, 3-1
10/13/2023 10:07:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Northwestern notches first home win over Terrapins since 2016
EVANSTON, Ill. (October 13, 2023) - Julia Sangiacomo connected on a match-high 27 kills, while Alexa Rousseau posted her fifth straight double-double effort as Northwestern bounced back from a defeat in the first set to score a 20-25, 25-21, 25-17, 25-20 win over visiting Maryland (13-6, 3-4 B1G) this evening inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Tonight's victory, Northwestern's first at home over Maryland since 2016, sees the 'Cats climb back above the .500 mark on the year at 9-8 overall (3-4 B1G).
?? in 4?!#GoCats | @B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/FDIsVwUWel
— Northwestern Volleyball (@NUVball) October 14, 2023
How It Happened
SET 1 | Maryland built an early edge in set one, racing out to a 5-0 lead that forced an early Wildcat timeout. Leilani Dodson tallied three kills as Northwestern looked for a route back, with Dodson's third spike trimming the visitors' advantage to 7-4. The 'Cats continued to hang tough, pulling back within three, 15-12, on a Sangiacomo kill. Maryland responded with a 3-0 push, stretching its lead to six, 18-12, on the way to a 25-20 win in set one.
SET 2 | The two teams went back and forth early in the second frame. A tandem block from Kennedy Hill and Averie Hernandez gave Northwestern its first lead of the night, 8-7. Following a Sangiacomo kill that made it 10-10, Maryland rattled off three straight points to go in front, 13-10. Northwestern countered with a run of its own out of a timeout, with a Sangiacomo spike sparking a 5-0 run that saw Dodson get in on a pair of blocks as the 'Cats went back on top, 15-13. With Maryland clinging to a 20-18 lead after a Wildcat attack error, kills from Sangiacomo and Hernandez, respectively, sparked a set-ending 7-1 Northwestern tear, with a Terrapin mishit sealing a 25-21 victory that evened the match up at one set apiece.
SET 3 | Northwestern took Maryland's lead from set one, scoring four of set three's first five points, a run that included a Drew Wright service ace, to race in front, 4-1. A dump kill from Rousseau reestablished a three-point edge, 7-4, before the Wildcats scored five unanswered points, two of which came from Sangiacomo kills, to build a 16-9 gap. The Terrapins got no closer than five the rest of the way, as another Maryland attack error slammed the door shut on a 25-17 Wildcat triumph.
SET 4 | Sangiacomo continued to operate at a high level to begin set four, pelting three straight kills to stake Northwestern to an early 3-1 lead. Maryland refused to go away without a fight, opening up an 11-9 edge that prompted a Wildcat timeout. The hosts answered back with a 4-0 run, fueled by the work of Gigi Navarrete at the service line, to take a 13-11 advantage. With the two teams knotted up at 16-16, Northwestern put away any hopes the visitors had of a fifth set with a backbreaking 8-2 run, capped off by a Dodson kill, that put the 'Cats on the brink, 24-18. Sangiacomo ended any further suspense shortly after, drilling her 27th and final kill of the night to put the exclamation point on a 25-20 win in set four.
Game Notes
» After hitting only .154 (11-5-39) in set one, Northwestern operated at a .263 (44-14-114) clip the rest of the way to finish that match at .235 (55-19-153).
» Sangiacomo surpassed 20 kills for the fourth time this season and third time in her last four outings, finishing with 27 kills in addition to 12 digs and three blocks.
» Following tonight's performance, Sangiacomo now holds three of the top four individual kill efforts in the Big Ten this season.
» Dodson reached double figures in kills for the sixth time in 2023, closing her night with 10 kills and a team-best six blocks.
» Rousseau, who tallied six kills, turned in another standout showing, putting up 42 assists and 13 digs on the way to a fifth consecutive double-double showing.
» Ellee Stinson enjoyed another sparkling night on the defensive side of the net, totaling a match-high 21 digs.
» Stinson has now surpassed 20 digs in three of the Wildcats' last four matches.
» Maryland was led by 13 kills from Sam Csire.
Up Next
Northwestern goes after a weekend sweep on Sunday when it heads north to Minneapolis, Minn. to battle Minnesota at 12:30 p.m. inside Maturi Pavilion.
This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
