Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
8-8,2-4Big Ten
Michigan State
11-6,3-3Big Ten
Sangiacomo, Hernandez Power 'Cats Past Michigan State, 3-2
10/7/2023 9:45:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Graduate student finishes with 32 kills, sophomore hammers career-best 17 kills
EAST LANSING, Mich. (October 7, 2023) - Julia Sangiacomo cracked the 30-kill mark for the second time in three matches, while Averie Hernandez enjoyed a career night as Northwestern (8-8, 2-4 B1G) outlasted Michigan State (11-6, 3-3 B1G) in a 22-25, 25-16, 25-20, 24-26, 15-10 thriller this evening inside the Breslin Center in East Lansing, Mich.
ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!#GoCats | @B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/EEUwrcNeYp
— Northwestern Volleyball (@NUVball) October 8, 2023
How It Happened
SET 1 | Leilani Dodson wasted no time in making her presence felt, coming up with a solo block to tie things up at 2-2 early on. Just eight days removed from a career outing against the Spartans, Hernandez drilled an attempt off the Michigan State block to give the 'Cats an 8-7 edge. Michigan State used a 3-0 run to take a 15-12 lead in an attempt to create separation, but Northwestern battled back, pulling even at 16-16 on an Alexa Rousseau service ace. The Spartans put together another 3-0 spurt to go up, 19-16. Northwestern closed within two on multiple occasions down the stretch, but was unable to erase the deficit as Michigan State took set one, 25-22.
SET 2 | Following a tight start to set two, a Kennedy Hill solo block sparked a 4-0 Wildcat push, highlighted by two Ellee Stinson service aces, that put Northwestern in front, 10-7, following a Sangiacomo spike. A Dodson slide kill stretched the margin to 14-9 ahead of kills from Rousseau and Hernandez, respectively, that saw the lead balloon to 19-13 and force a Michigan State timeout. The hosts never threatened the rest of the way, with a Maddy Chinn kill closing out a 25-16 win.
SET 3 | Sangiacomo's 14th and 15th kills of the night provided the bookends to a 4-0 Northwestern tear that staked the 'Cats to a 9-6 lead in set three. Rousseau tallied the Wildcats' sixth service ace to reestablish a three-point lead, 12-9, before back-to-back Sangiacomo kills pushed the lead to 17-13 and forced a Michigan State timeout. The Spartans rallied to trim the gap to 18-16, but, following a Michigan State attack error, Hill and Hernandez teamed up for a block that stretched the margin back to four, 20-16, as Northwestern went on to close out a 25-20 win on another Sangiacomo kill.
SET 4 | Northwestern countered an early Michigan State run with a 5-0 spurt that put the Wildcats back on level terms, 8-8. Sangiacomo's 23rd kill gave the 'Cats their first lead of the set, 11-10. Rousseau cleaned up a Spartan overpass to stretch the lead to 16-12, but Michigan State refused to go away quietly, climbing back to within two, 20-18, as part of a fourth set that would come down to the wire. Sangiacomo connected to set Northwestern up with match point, 24-23, but the hosts proved to have the final say, scoring the final three points of the frame to force a fifth set following a 26-24 triumph.
SET 5 | Northwestern raced out to a 3-0 lead in the pivotal fifth set on the strength of two more Sangiacomo kills. After Michigan State rattled off three straight points to slice the lead to 5-4, Sangiacomo looked to stem the tide, hammering her 30th kill to make it 6-4 Northwestern. The hosts continued to battle, pulling even at 6-6, before the 'Cats hit back with three unanswered points. Two Hernandez kills bookended a Hill solo block, propelling Northwestern on top, 9-6. Chinn made the most of her opportunity on the outside shortly after, stretching the lead to 12-8. Michigan State looked to rally late in front of its home crowd, clawing back within two, 12-10, but two Sangiacomo kills over the final three points, including her 32nd to seal it, closed out a thrilling 15-10 victory in the fifth set.
Game Notes
» Sangiacomo was terrific, finishing with 32 kills, a mark just one shy of her career high of 33 that was set six days ago at Purdue.
» Sangiacomo also tallied a season-high tying 11 digs en route to her second double-double of 2023.
» For the second time in as many matches against Michigan State, Hernandez put up a career-best performance, finishing with 17 kills and hitting .353 (17-5-34).
» Including Sangiacomo, four Wildcats finished in double figures in digs.
» Ellee Stinson led the quartet, putting up a career-high 27 digs.
» Rousseau matched a season high with 50 assists, while also totaling 14 digs en route to her fourth straight double-double.
» Navarette continued her steady defensive play of late, reaching double figures in digs for a fourth straight match with 10 digs.
» Hill was a force at the net, tallying eight blocks to go along with three kills.
» Northwestern blanketed Spartan standout Taylah Holdem, snapping her streak of four straight double-doubles as she was held to just nine kills and a -.051 (9-11-39) hitting percentage.
» Michigan State hit just .144 (58-32-180) on the evening as a team.
» Grace Kelly led the Spartans with 20 kills.
Up Next
Northwestern returns to the friendly confines of Welsh-Ryan Arena on Friday, October 13 for a 7 p.m. first serve against Maryland. The Wildcats will wrap up the weekend by visiting Minnesota at 12:30 p.m. on Sunday, October 15.
This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
