Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
13-14,7-10Big Ten
Rutgers
10-17,2-15Big Ten
‘Cats Shake Off Slow Start, Charge Past Rutgers, 3-1
11/17/2023 8:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Sangiacomo pounds 24 kills to lead Northwestern
NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. (November 17, 2023) - Julia Sangiacomo surpassed the 20-kill mark for the sixth time this season as Northwestern hit .346 (64-17-136) in a 23-25, 25-19, 25-17, 25-16 win over Rutgers (10-17, 2-15 B1G) this evening inside College Avenue Gymnasium in New Brunswick, N.J.
Tonight's victory, Northwestern's seventh straight over the Scarlet Knights, sees the Wildcats improve to 13-14 overall and 7-10 in Big Ten Conference play.
Night (k)night ??#GoCats | @B1GVolleyball pic.twitter.com/bmZLlAroXD
— Northwestern Volleyball (@NUVball) November 18, 2023
How It Happened
SET 1 | Rutgers started fast in set one, racing out to a 4-1 lead. Northwestern chipped away, pulling even at 7-7 on an Averie Hernandez kill. Points on back-to-back swings by Maddy Chinn sent the Wildcats in front, 12-10, ahead of a Sangiacomo ace that made it 15-13 and prompted a Scarlet Knights' timeout. Rutgers responded, taking off on a 5-1 run that put it on top, 21-18. Northwestern battled off a pair of set points late, but was unable to complete its comeback as the hosts claimed the opening frame, 25-23.
SET 2 | Leilani Dodson was active early in the second set, pelting a pair of early kills as Northwestern took a 2-1 edge. Alexa Rousseau ended a long rally with a solo block that stretched the gap to 9-6 before a Sangiacomo rocket out of the back row saw the lead balloon to 11-6. Hernanadez and Drew Wright each tallied service aces down the stretch as Northwestern kept its foot on the gas in a 25-19 win to even up the match.
SET 3 | Rutgers again looked to set the pace, establishing a 5-2 advantage. Kills from Kennedy Hill and Sangaicomo, respectively, saw the Wildcats chip away, trimming the gap to 9-8. After taking a 14-13 lead on a Rutgers mishit, Hernandez elevated on the outside to extend the margin to three, 17-14. With the lead sitting at 18-16, Northwestern finished with a flurry, closing the set on a 7-1 run, with three straight Chinn kills punctuating a 25-17 victory.
SET 4 | Chinn was back in the mix to open set four, joining forces with Hill for a block that put Northwestern on the board first, 1-0. Dodson hammered home off an overpass to cap a set-opening 6-1 run that forced Rutgers to burn an early timeout. The Scarlet Knights continued to battle, pulling back within 7-6 before a Sangiacomo spike reestablished a two-point lead for the visitors, 8-6. Northwestern put to rest any hopes the host had for a fifth set with a 5-0 run, bookended by kills from Hernandez, to open up a 16-9 advantage en route to coasting to a 25-16 win.
Game Notes
» Sangiacomo led Northwestern, posting her fifth double-double of 2023 with 24 kills and 11 digs.
» Sangiacomo, who hit .404 (24-5-47), has posted 20-plus kills in six matches this season.
» Hernandez again found herself in double figures, adding 12 kills.
» Hernandez also added a team-best two service aces.
» Chinn and Dodson each chipped in nine kills apiece, with Chinn operating at a .438 (9-2-16) clip.
» Rousseau narrowly missed out on a double-double of her own, dishing out 51 assists in addition to tallying nine digs and six kills.
» Rousseau's 51 helpers are her most in a four-set match in 2023.
» Ellee Stinson was credited with 21 digs, her seventh outing this season with 20 or more digs.
» Sangiacomo, Chinn, Dodson, Rousseau, and Hill led a balanced defensive effort at the net for the 'Cats that saw each finish with two blocks.
Up Next
Northwestern closes out the road portion of its 2023 regular season schedule on Saturday when it battles No. 14 Penn State in a 6 p.m. (CT) first serve inside Rec Hall.
This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
