Nov. 23, 2005
EVANSTON, Ill. -- In its final home match of the season, Northwestern fell in three games to No. 14 Wisconsin Wednesday night, 30-22, 30-28, 30-15, breaking its season-best six-match winning streak.
With the loss, Northwestern drops to 18-11 on the season, 9-10 in the Big Ten. Wisconsin improves to 22-6, 14-5 with the win.
The loss stops the Wildcats' six-match winning streak -- their best in the Big Ten since 1983. The run matched Northwestern's best of the season when it swept through the Chicagoland and Wildcat Classics earlier this year.
Game one was close until a quick 3-0 Wisconsin spurt opened a 17-13 lead for the Badgers. The closest Northwestern would get the rest of the way was three, 21-18, but UW used an immediate 9-2 run to put the game out of reach before winning, 30-22.
The Wildcats played much better in the second game. Wisconsin held an early three-point lead, 12-9, before a 5-1 Northwestern run gave the Wildcats a 14-13 advantage.
Later in the game, a kill from sophomore Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) and a UW attack error gave the Wildcats a 27-24 lead and forced a Wisconsin timeout.
The Badgers came out of the break and came all the way back to win the second game, 30-28, with a 6-1 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Northwestern never recovered from the second-game loss, falling in the third game, 30-15 to end the match.
Paulus led the Wildcats with eight kills in the first match all season with no 'Cats in double-figures for kills. Junior Lauren Greenwood (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) contributed 20 assists, while senior Christie Gardner (West Bend, Wis./West Bend East) led NU with 10 digs.
Northwestern returns to action in its regular season finale at 7 p.m. Friday at Indiana.