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Northwestern Opens Wildcat Classic With Sweep of Drake

Sophomore Emma Pollert serves up first-career aces as part of 10-ace attack from NU

Sophomore Emma Pollert helped create a 13-2 run in game three with a pair of aces -- the first of her career.

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Sept. 14, 2007

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern opened its 2007 Wildcat Classic schedule with a sweep of Drake Friday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena, taking down the Bulldogs 30-19, 30-22, 30-17.

The win improves the Wildcats to 7-2 on the season and makes the hosts 1-0 in their home event. The Bulldogs fall to 2-7 on the year, 0-1 in the Classic with the loss. The meeting was the first between the schools at Welsh-Ryan Arena since Drake participated in the second annual Wildcat Classic way back in 1978.

As a team, Northwestern hit .353 in the match while holding Drake to an .040 hitting percentage.

The Wildcats leapt out to a 14-6 lead in game one to force the first timeout of the match before the Bulldogs came back to within five, 15-10. Kills by Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) and Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) sparked a 6-2 run that caused Drake's second timeout with the score 21-12.

Again Drake clawed back to within five, 24-19, but a pair of kills by Moffett and three blocks by Moffett and Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) ended the game with a 6-0 NU run and a 30-19 score.

Game two was close through the entire first half until a 4-0 NU spurt featuring two Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) kills gave the Wildcats a 20-16 advantage. From there, the Wildcats continued to pull away until eventually winning game two, 30-22.

Gray had five kills on six swings with no errors, while Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) had four kills on six swings with no errors in the game.

With Northwestern holding a two-point lead, 11-9, in game three, it embarked on a 13-2 rampage featuring service aces from Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg), Paulus and two from Emma Pollert (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) to take a 24-11 lead. The Wildcats cruised in from there, ending the game, 30-17, on a Paulus kill.

Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) hit .714 in game three with five kills on seven swings and no errors.

Anderson had a match-high 12 kills and a match-best .458 hitting percentage (12-1-24), while Paulus added 10 kills and a .350 percentage (10-3-20). Paulus now is 14 kills shy of reach 1,000 for her career.

Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) had 29 assists in two games played, while Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) contributed 14 in one game played. Nobilio led the 'Cats with 21 digs, 12 of which came in the third game. She also tied her career-high with four aces, a number she has reached three times this season.

Moffett had a match- and season-best six blocks.

Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. CT tonight, Sept. 14, against Western Michigan.