Oct. 19, 2007

Box Score

EVANSTON, Ill. -- In the midst of its longest losing skid since 2001, Northwestern returned home to Welsh-Ryan Arena Friday night and knocked off No. 13 Minnesota in a five-game thriller, 30-16, 25-30, 30-27, 27-30, 17-15.

The Wildcats had dropped seven matches in a row after defeating then-No. 23 Ohio State on September 21 to begin the Big Ten season. NU now is 11-9 overall on the season, 2-7 in the conference with both of those league wins coming against ranked opponents. Minnesota's loss drops it to 12-7 on the year, 5-4 in the Big Ten.

The win was Northwestern's second over a ranked Minnesota team in the last three seasons; the Wildcats defeated then-No. 17 Minnesota in Minneapolis in 2005. The win also was NU's first over UM in Evanston since 2003.

Northwestern came out smoking hot in game one, turning a 9-9 tie into a 16-11 lead with the help of a pair of Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) kills and a kill by freshman setter Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection). The Gophers came back to within three, 18-15, but Northwestern went on a 12-1 run to win game one by an emphatic 30-16 score.

The Wildcats held the Gophers to just four kills and a -.214 hitting percentage (4-10-28) in the first game.

Game two was tight until a Minnesota block gave the visitors a 16-12 lead, causing a Northwestern timeout. The Wildcats quickly drew back within one, 16-15, on a 3-0 run comprised of a pair of Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) kills and one termination by Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier). Minnesota gradually pulled away from that point, however, to even the match with a 30-25 game two win.

The two squads traded mini-runs most of the way throughout game three, keeping the action close until a late 5-2 spurt by Northwestern gave the hosts a 27-21 lead. The run was capped by a kill from Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire). A block by Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and Aldridge gave NU game point, 29-23.

The Gophers did not quit, reeling off four-consecutive points before an Aldridge kill ended the game, 30-27.

Northwestern held a 17-14 lead in game four before a 5-0 Minnesota run turned the tables and gave the Gophers a 19-17 advantage. The Wildcats eventually tied the score, 22-22, on an Anderson kill, but another 5-0 Minnesota run gave UM a commanding 27-22 lead. A Johnson service ace later on drew the Wildcats back to within two, 29-27, but an NU attack error on the next point gave UM a 30-27 win and forced a fifth game.

Neither team held more than a two-point lead for the entirety of game five. With the score tied, 13-13, Hyser ended a prolonged rally with a termination to earn the first match point for NU, 14-13. Minnesota tied the score, then earned a match point of its own after an NU attack error.

Following a Northwestern timeout, Hyser buried another kill to even the score, 15-15, before a Rachelle Hagerty attack error for UM gave the Wildcats another match point. This time, Gray pounded home the final attack to end the game, 17-15, and the match, 3-2.

Anderson finished with a season-best 21 kills, and matched her season high with four aces. Hyser also matched her season high with 18 kills, hitting .405 (18-3-37) to lead the Wildcats in hitting percentage. Aldridge contributed 12 kills and a team-best eight blocks, while libero Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had a match-high 24 digs.

Northwestern opened conference play with six of its first eight matches on the road this year.

Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. CT tomorrow, Saturday, Oct. 20, against Iowa at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The match is NU's "Dig for the Cure" night to benefit the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.

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