Sept. 21, 2005
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Conference play gets underway this weekend at Welsh-Ryan Arena as Northwestern welcomes Iowa and Minnesota to Evanston.
The Wildcats face the Hawkeyes at 7 p.m. Friday night before taking on the No. 5 Golden Gophers at 7 p.m. Saturday evening.
Both matches will be available for viewing live on the internet through CSTV All-Access at NUsports.com. The Iowa contest will feature live video with WNUR's Dan Platt and Amanda Runner on the call. Saturday night's match will feature live video along with commentary from Platt and Howard Tilman.
Not since 1987 has Northwestern begun a season and entered the Big Ten schedule with a 9-1 record. The teams NU played that year to begin the conference slate? Iowa and Minnesota. The 'Cats swept the Hawkeyes and beat the Gophers in five matches en route to a 14-1 record to begin the year.
What else happened in 1987? NU played in three nonconference tournaments, winning two and finishing second in the third -- also just like this year. The Wildcats were runners-up at the Four Points University Plaza Wildcat Classic Sept. 1-3 in Tucson, Ariz., before winning the Chicagoland Classic Sept. 9-10.
Last weekend, Northwestern swept through the field at its own Wildcat Classic, claiming the title without dropping a single game. Sophomore Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) took home MVP honors, while teammates Christie Gardner (West Bend, Wis./West Bend East) and Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) joined her on the all-tournament team.
Northwestern found its way into the NCAA record books last week when Anderson served a 13-0 run against Brown on Sept. 17. Anderson's 13 consecutive points served mark the fifth-best total in NCAA history.
The Wildcats currently rank 15th in the nation with a .285 team hitting percentage. Anderson is ranked 25th in the country with her 0.65 aces per game average.
Iowa brings a 9-3 record into this weekend after winning the Microtel Inn & Suites Coastal Carolina University Classic with a 3-0 record. Stacy Vitali leads the Hawkeyes with a .295 hitting percentage on 3.24 kills per game.
The Golden Gophers (10-1) hold down the No. 5 spot in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll for the third-consecutive week after winning the TCU Tournament with a perfect 3-0 record.
Minnesota --- the 2004 NCAA runner-up -- and NU hooked up during spring ball, with the Wildcats earning a 3-1 victory.