Oct. 28, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - Before Northwestern's match against Iowa begins Saturday, Oct. 30, the Wildcats will honor the 20th Anniversary of the 1984 Big Ten Title team by recognizing returning alumni.
Just before game time, members of the championship team will once again take the floor at Welsh-Ryan Arena as they are announced to the crowd.
20 years ago, it wasn't supposed to be easy defending the Big Ten Championship the 'Cats had clawed back to win against Purdue a year before. But, NU sure made it look that way.
Despite being a relatively young team and having lost four key players from the '83 squad, NU captured its second consecutive Big Ten Championship by steamrolling the Purdue Boilermakers in three straight games in the title match. NU didn't just beat Purdue in three straight games; they beat Purdue soundly in the Boilermakers own backyard.
The 'Cats three-game sweep of Purdue mirrored the team's domination of the Big Ten Conference all season. Head coach Jerry Angle guided NU to an overall record of 27-10, with a nearly spotless conference record of 12-1. That impressive record helped Angle earn Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. From '83 to'84, Angle had himself nothing short of a dynasty, amassing a 51-22 overall record, while dominating the Big Ten with a mark of 23-3.
Angle's players are the ones who made things happen on the court though, as four 'Cats earned all-Big Ten honors in '83. A few key pieces to the puzzle were outside hitters Madelyn Meneghetti and Sue Kerry, setter Jackie Nunez and Mary Stack. Freshman Kathy Burns provided a young spark for the 'Cats, leading the team in digs with 301 as she blossomed into one of the most consistent players in the conference.
Jackie Nunez tied for the conference lead in assists per game with 10.73 per league contest. She was the all-Big Ten quarterback of that season's title and was a master of setting up the 'Cats explosive offense.
Sue Kerry provided much of NU's offensive firepower by leading the Big Ten in hitting percentage with a .349 average.