Paulus Records 1,000th-Career Kill; NU Wins Wildcat Classic, 3-1
Sept. 15, 2007
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Senior Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) became the 18th Wildcat to reach 1,000-career kills as Northwestern won its third-consecutive Wildcat Classic championship with a 3-1 win over Saint Louis Saturday afternoon at Welsh-Ryan Arena, 30-26, 30-15, 28-30, 30-20. Paulus notched 17 kills against the Billikens to give her 1,010 for her career. She joins classmate Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) as active 'Cats in the NU 1,000-Kill club. For good measure, Paulus matched her career-high with eight blocks in the match. Northwestern improved to 23-5 at home in nonconference matches under head coach Keylor Chan with the win, including a perfect 13-0 nonconference home record in the last three seasons. The win against the Billikens also represented the Wildcats' 50th win all-time in the Wildcat Classic. Northwestern's current seven-match winning streak is its longest since a nine-match streak in 2003. Paulus led a quartet of Wildcats in double-digits for kills, and a quartet with double-doubles in the match. Paulus had 10 digs to go with her 17 kills, while Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) had 13 kills and 11 digs. Anderson added 12 kills and 15 digs, and freshman setter Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) had a season-best 58 assists and 12 digs. Junior Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) had a fantastic match, leading NU with 18 kills and a .556 hitting percentage (18-3-27). Her 18 kills are just two shy of her career-best total set in a five-game win at Minnesota in 2005. She earned a spot on the All-Tournament team, as did Paulus.
Sophomore Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) was named Tournament MVP, and led NU with 26 digs during Saturday afternoon's tilt.
Freshman Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral) added a season-best 10 blocks for NU, which compiled 17.0 blocks as a team. Saint Louis held the advantage in game one, 19-15, when Northwestern called a timeout. NU came back to knot the score, 23-23, on a block by Moffett and Paulus. With the score still tied, 25-25, Northwestern went on a 5-1 run to end the game, getting a pair of late aces from Nobilio to secure the win, 30-26. In game two, Northwestern dominated from the start with an early 11-0 run to take a 15-4 lead. Three blocks and a pair of kills from Hyser highlighted the charge, which eventually resulted in a 30-15 game two victory for NU. Saint Louis opened a sizeable advantage late in game three, 25-18, but a 7-1 run by Northwestern featuring a kill by Lindsay Kresch (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) and three by Anderson closed the gap to one, 26-25. The teams exchanged points until the Billikens got a kill to win game three, 30-28. The loss snapped an 18-game winning streak for Northwestern dating back to its 3-1 win against UC Santa Barbara on Sept. 1. The school record for consecutive games won is 22. In game four, the Wildcats pulled ahead gradually until kills from Gray, Paulus and a block by Moffett and Paulus staked NU to a nine-point lead, 23-14. From there, Northwestern cruised to a 30-20 game four win. Northwestern returns to action in its Big Ten opener at 6 p.m. CT Friday, Sept. 21, at Ohio State. |
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