July 24, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern's incoming freshman class of 2006 was ranked No. 14 overall in the nation by PrepVolleyball.com in their annual recruiting class ratings.
Head coach Keylor Chan's group of Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja), Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore), Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chaparral), Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) and Emma Pollert (Seymour, Ind./Seymour) rated fourth among all Big Ten schools.
In PrepVolleyball.com's comments on the class, they remarked: "The Wildcats only graduated two, both back row players, but that doesn't necessarily mean the hitters in this class will have to wait to make an impact on the court.
"Moffett, who signed late, may be the best athlete ever to don a Northwestern jersey. Gray, another impressive athlete, possesses a strong offensive skill set out of the middle and a killer instinct to boot. Baxterbeck is one of the most impressive all around players in this class: physical when she has to be but smart enough to know how to score and a tremendous asset as a passer and defensive player. To shore up the back row, the Wildcats scholarshipped Nobilio, a wise move. She's one of the quickest, most intense defenders in the land. Pollert, from Team Indiana, adds depth to the defense."
The incoming quintet join a program that has been to the NCAA Tournament in three of the past four seasons, and which won its first NCAA Tournament match last year.
Northwestern opens the 2006 season at 7 p.m. Aug. 29 against Illinois-Chicago in Welsh-Ryan Arena.