Match Notes for PSU and OSU in PDF Format
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Nov. 8, 2004
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern (8-16, 3-11 Big Ten) has one of its toughest season tests this weekend when the Wildcats hit the road to face the Big Ten's top two teams -- No. 8 Ohio State (22-2, 12-2) and No. 4 Penn State (21-2, 12-2) -- this Friday, Nov. 12 and Saturday, Nov. 13.
Both the Nittany Lions and Buckeyes hold the conference's best records with 12-2 marks. The teams are tops in many of the statistical categories as well.
When it comes to consistent hitting, the Buckeyes rank first in the Big Ten with a .301 average. They are head-and-shoulders above the next closest team, which happens to be Penn State (.276 average). The Buckeyes and Lions are a respective No. 1 and 2 in total kills on the year, too; Ohio State has 909 kills and averages 18.55 per game, while Penn State has 857 kills and a 17.49 average.
One of the main reasons for Ohio State's proficient offense has been senior outside hitter Stacey Gordon. Gordon is widely considered to be the best hitter in the Big Ten, if not the nation. She leads the conference in kills with 361, an average of 7.31 per game. To get an idea of just how good Gordon is, the next closest attacker in the Big Ten has 262 kills, and no one else in the conference averages better than five kills per game.
The bulk of the Buckeyes' attack will go through Gordon, as she also leads the conference in attempts. She has a total of 756 attempts, almost doubling the next closest attacker who has 411. Gordon also has posted the most kills in a single match this year in the Big Ten -- twice nailing 36 kills.
Another Buckeye the 'Cats will have to account for is sophomore Marisa Main, who ranks second in the conference with a .373 hitting percentage off of 153 kills.
Penn State shares something in common with NU, in that the Lions' lineup also features several freshmen being thrust into starting roles early in their careers. Freshman sensation Melissa Walbridge ranks first in conference hitting percentage with a .377 average. The Lions' main threat is another freshman, Kate Price, who ranks sixth in the conference in total kills with 212 and a 4.33 per game average.
Senior Syndie Nadeau was named the Big Ten Player of the Week after leading the Lions to crucial road wins at No. 5 Minnesota and Iowa this past weekend. At Minnesota, the senior lit up the Gophers with a season-high 19 kills on 46 swings to hit .348 versus a team that has the second lowest opponent hitting percentage in the Big Ten (.157) and the lowest in conference-only matches (.156).
Penn State also excels on the defensive side of the ball, ranking first in the conference in blocks with 155.0 total and a 3.16 average per game. The Lions are the only squad averaging greater than three stuffs per game.
Wildcats' All-Time Record Against Ohio State and Penn State
The Series with the Buckeyes
All-Time Series: Ohio State leads 40-11
Most Recent Meeting: Sep. 25, 2004 (OSU, 3-0)
2004 Record: 22-2 (12-2 Big Ten)
The Series with the Nittany Lions
All-Time Series: Penn State leads 27-8
Most Recent Meeting: Sep. 24, 2004 (PSU, 3-0)
2004 Record: 21-2 (12-2, Big Ten)
Gardner Born to Dig
In 2003-04, Christie Gardner was a key offensive threat for the 'Cats, ranking fourth on the team with 290 kills and a 2.57 average. With the graduation of all-Big Ten performer Erika Lange and Iwona Lodzik, you would think Gardner would have been go-to weapon for NU's offense. Given Gardner's incredible athleticism though, Keylor Chan saw the potential for her to become a premier defender in the Big Ten. Gardner has not disappointed, excelling in the back row for the 'Cats this year. She currently ranks fifth in the conference with 289 digs and a 4.67 average per game. Her performance Oct. 16 against Indiana yielded Gardner the fourth-best dig total in the Big Ten this season with 31 in five games.
Multi-Dimensional
While Drew Robertson's position as a setter has her primarily focused on presenting her teammates with an opportunity to score, she is by no means a one dimensional player. As of Nov. 6, Robertson has posted 13 double-doubles on the year--the most recent coming against Illinois where she had 58 assists and 10 digs. Robertson has also recorded a rare triple-double Oct. 16 against Indiana when she lit the Hoosiers up for 11 kills, 27 digs and 57 assists. That performance is one of only three triple-doubles in the Big Ten this year. Robertson's service game also has been huge for the 'Cats this year, specifically her performance Oct. 16 against Indiana. In the five-game match, she recorded four service aces, tying her for the second-best total in the Big Ten this season.
Set It and Forget It
Senior setter Drew Robertson has made her mark on the Northwestern record book in her four years wearing the Purple and White. Last season, the Long Beach, Calif. native recorded 1,463 assists, good for second place in Northwestern's all-time single-season record book. Robertson also has a firm hold on the top spot with 1,515 assists, which she accomplished her sophomore year. She most recently etched her name atop the Northwestern record books for all-time career assists with 4,875 by recording 49 against Iowa Oct. 30. She has averaged 37.1 assists per match through 24 contests this year. That puts her on pace to easily eclipse the 5,000 career-assists barrier by the end of the season, solidifying herself as one of the greatest players in NU's history.
Team Defense
The 'Cats rank in the top half of the Big Ten when it comes to defense this year. Through 49 games, NU has recorded 36 solo blocks -- third most in the conference. The 'Cats also have 144 block assists, giving them 108.0 total blocks on the year. Their 2.20 blocks per game average ranks ninth in the Big Ten. NU's 755 digs on the year have them at fourth in the conference, averaging 16.55 per game. The Wildcats' 109 digs Oct. 16 against Indiana earned them the third-best dig total in the Big Ten this season.
Watch the Wildcats on the Web
NUsports.com has introduced yet another way to keep tabs on how the 'Cats are playing if you can't make it to a match. There is currently live, video streaming available for home volleyball games. Catch the 'Cats on the web by subscribing to NUsports.com's College Sports pass. Registration for the pass can be found on the audio/video section of NUsports.com and the pass provides access to all live video/audio that is streamed from our web site. Some of the luxuries of owning a College Sports pass include having access to live/archived game audio from all the teams in the network, on-demand video and audio clips, highlights, press-conferences, postgame clips and more.
Gametracker statistics is another feature offered by NUsports.com that allows fans to follow the action with live statistics through the internet for free. Simply go to the Schedules/Results link in the Volleyball section of NUsports.com and click on any match you want to follow live.