Oct. 14, 2008

NU Weekly Volleyball Release - Oct. 14

Opening Serve
Northwestern concludes its crucial three game conference road trip by traveling down I-57 to Champaign, Ill., facing 17th-ranked Illinois at 7 p.m. Friday, October 17. The Wildcats then make the trip to West Lafayette, Ind., to meet up with 21st-ranked Purdue Saturday, October 18, at 6 p.m.

Scouting Illinois
Illinois enters the weekend holding the number 17 spot in the national rankings, boasting a 13-4 overall record and are 4-2 in the Big Ten after a pair of convincing 3-0 victories on the road at Ohio State and 23rd-ranked Michigan. Defensively is where the Illini have excelled this year, as they rank third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.153) and blocks per set (2.80) and are second in the conference in digs at 15.56 per set. The sophomore duo of Johannah Bangert and Abby Nelson have led the way for Illinois, as Bangert ranks second in the Big Ten in blocks (1.58), recording 101 on the year, while Nelson is ninth in the conference at 1.11 blocks per set, totalling 71 so far. Junior libero Ashley Edinger has anchored the backcourt for the Illini, as her 4.44 digs per set ranks third in the Big Ten. Offensively, Illinois has been dangerous as well, as sophomore Laura DeBruler has played a significant role on attack, leading the Illini with 282 kills on the year and ranking second in the conference in kills per set (4.41). Kylie McCulley (172 kills) and Michelle Bartsch (133) have also fueled the Illinois attack. Don Hardin is in his 12th season with the Illini, compiling a 221-159 (.582) record since arriving in Champaign, and is 413-236 (.636) in his 20 years as a head coach.

Scouting Purdue
21st-ranked Purdue enters the week with an overall record of 14-4 on the year and is 3-3 in conference after splitting its road trip this past weekend. The Boilermakers fell to 23rd-ranked Michigan 3-1 in Ann Arbor Friday, then bounced back to take a 3-1 decision over Ohio State in Columbus Sunday. Looking to build off its Sweet 16 appearance in the NCAA tournament in 2007, Purdue has a pair of players who have already eclipsed the 200-kill mark this season. Senior Stephanie Lynch leads the team with 233 kills on the year, while senior Danita Merlau has added 208 of her own. Sophomore Kristen Arthurs is the only other Boiler to crack triple-digits in kills with 130. Lynch and Arthurs have also come up big at the net defensively for Purdue, tallying 84 and 67 blocks respectively, with sophomore Jaclyn Hart adding 57 blocks of her own to go along with her 9.64 assists per set average, which puts her sixth in the conference. The Boilermakers rank fifth in the conference in digs per set at 13.49 and have five players who have over 100 on the year, led by senior Kelli Miller's 288, as her 4.30 average ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Head coach Dave Shondell recorded his 100th career coaching victory earlier this year for Purdue, and has compiled an overall record of 112-70 (.615) since arriving in West Lafayette five seasons ago.

Series Information
Northwestern and Illinois meet for the 67th time Friday, with the Illini holding a 41-25 series advantage over the Wildcats. The two teams split the season series in 2007, with the road team prevailing in each match. Illinois took a 3-0 victory in Evanston, while Northwestern returned the favor by taking a five set win over the Illini in Champaign. Huff Hall has been quite accommodating in recent years for the Wildcats, as they have won the last three matches and four of the last six on Illinois' home court. NU and Purdue meet up for the 66th time Saturday, with the Boilermakers leading the all-time series 42-23. Purdue has won the last four matches against the `Cats, including sweeping the season series last year. The Boilermakers have proven to be tough at home, as they have taken four of the last five against Northwestern at Holloway Gymnasium, including the last three meetings.

Nobilio Now Second on All-Time Digs List
Junior Kate Nobilio continues to establish herself among the all-time greats, as with her 33 digs last week against Wisconsin and Michigan State she is now second on the Wildcats' all-time digs list. Nobilio sits at 1,433 for her career, surpassing Janine Makar and Jennifer Jostes this past week, and is now just 225 digs shy of Christie Gardner to become the all-time leader. If she keeps up her current pace of nearly 19 digs per match, Nobilio could sit atop the standings before the 2008 season is completed.

Hyser Joins Ranks Among Wildcat Blocking Elite
Senior Chelsy Hyser has been a constant at the net over the last four years for the Wildcats, and the Belvidere, Ill. native has put her name in the record books as one of the top blockers in the program's history. Hyser recorded her 312th career block assist against Michigan State, putting her into a tie for seventh-place all-time with Pattijean McCahill. Her 62 solo blocks ranks Hyser ninth all-time, seven behind Julie Wittig's 69, and her 374 total blocks places her tenth all-time in Northwestern history, one block behind ninth-place Miriam Stariha and two back of McCahill in eighth. She is also one of the top hitters in Wildcat history, as her career .302 hitting percentage is second on the all-time list, just shy of Erika Lange's career mark of .304.

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