Northwestern University Athletics
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UIC Rallies To Down Northwestern, 3-2
9/13/2023 10:35:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
Chinn hammers career-best 18 kills in defeat
EVANSTON, Ill. (September 13, 2023) - For the second time in nine days, Maddy Chinn turned in a career-best performance as UIC (8-3) rallied to deal Northwestern a 20-25, 18-25, 25-23, 25-10, 15-11 setback this evening inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
Tonight's setback sees the 'Cats fall to 5-4 on the year ahead of Friday's non-conference finale.
How It Happened
SET 1 | Northwestern looked to make an early statement, rattling off the night's first eight points, two of which came from Ellee Stinson service aces. UIC answered back, slowly but surely chipping away until it had taken an 11-10 edge. Back-to-back tandem blocks from Chinn and Leilani Dodson turned the tide for good in the opening frame, giving the 'Cats an 18-16 lead on the way to a 25-20 win.
SET 2 | UIC again hung tough in the early stages of the second set, putting up three unaswered points to go in front, 11-10. With the score knotted up at 13-13, kills by Dodson and Julia Sangiacomo bookended a UIC attack error, staking the Wildcats to a 16-13 advantage. Another Sangiacomo spike sparked a 5-1 Northwestern push that created separation, as the Wildcats closed out a 25-18 victory.
SET 3 | The 'Cats looked to be on their way to closing things out in three after racing in front, 5-0, in the third frame. Following kills by Chinn and Kennedy Hill, respectively, that pushed the gap to 11-5, UIC ripped off five unanswered points to close within one, 11-10. Northwestern responded, going up four, 19-15, on a block by Dodson and Sangiacomo. The visitors from the West Side refused to go away though, storming back to take their first lead of the set, 22-21, en route to forcing a fourth set following a 25-23 triumph.
SET 4 | UIC jumped all over Northwestern in the fourth set, using a 4-0 spurt to take an 8-5 lead it would never relinquish. The Wildcats would get no closer than two the rest of the way, as UIC took took the set, 25-10, to even the match at two sets apiece.
SET 5 | The two local rivals traded points early in a tense fifth set. Chinn's career-best 18th kill nudged Northwestern in front, 7-6, before an Alexa Rousseau dump kill made it 8-7 Northwestern. UIC came up with one final push, scoring the next four points of the night to go up three, 11-8. Sangiacomo trimmed the gap to 11-9, but that proved to be the extent of any comeback hopes, as UIC closed the night with a 15-11 win.
Game Notes
» Led by a career-high 18 kills from Chinn, Northwestern had three players reach double figures in kills.
» Dodson hit on a season-best 13 kills, while Hill finished the night with a career-high 10 spikes.
» Dodson also added a match-high seven blocks.
» Rousseau dished out a season-high 50 assists, with her helper on a Dodson second-set kill moving her into sole-possession of seventh place on the program's all-time assists record board.
» Rousseau now has 2,566 assists to her name as a Wildcat.
» Rousseau also added 11 digs on her way to her second double-double of the season.
» Ellee Stinson delivered a career-high four service aces to go along with 14 digs.
» Ayat Amin matched Chinn's output on the night, finishing with 18 kills to pace UIC.
Up Next
Northwestern wraps up non-conference play on Friday, September 15 when it entertains Yale. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. inside Welsh-Ryan Arena.
This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.
