Oct. 27, 2006
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern welcomed Michigan State to Welsh-Ryan Arena Friday night to begin the second half of the Big Ten schedule, and the Spartans came out on top of a 3-0 sweep, 30-23, 30-23, 30-28.
With the loss, Northwestern falls to 10-10 on the season, 4-7 in the Big Ten. NU split the season series with Michigan State after taking a five-game victory in East Lansing on Oct. 7. With the win, the Spartans improve to 14-7 on the year, 5-6 in the conference.
Game one was played as close as close can be for the first 20 points. After the Wildcats jumped out to an early three-point lead, 4-1, the Spartans tied the score and neither team led by more than a single point until the Spartans used a 3-0 run to go up by a pair, 23-21. Northwestern used a timeout, then called its second after MSU scored the next two points to extend its lead to four, 25-21.
The Spartans did not let up from there, earning a 30-23 game one win.
Michigan State came out in game two just where it left off, opening up a quick five-point advantage, 9-4, to force Northwestern head coach Keylor Chan to use a timeout. The Spartans continued to maintain their lead, and Chan called his second timeout with the Wildcats' deficit at six, 20-14.
Michigan State ran its lead to 28-17 before Northwestern put together a 5-0 run to close the gap to six, 28-22, and cause a Spartan timeout. MSU closed out its game two victory, 30-23, to take a 2-0 lead in the match.
Michigan State again took the quick lead in game three, forcing the first Northwestern timeout with a five-point lead, 14-9. With the Spartans still up five, 19-14, the Wildcats used a 3-0 run to force an MSU timeout. A kill by senior Cassie McLaughlin (Cary, Ill./Cary Grove) and a block by Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) and McLaughlin helped propel the NU spurt.
Michigan State recovered and pushed back out to a four-point lead, 22-18, and Chan used his final timeout of the third game. The 'Cats came out roaring, using a 4-1 run to cut the deficit to one, 23-22, and the Spartans used their second timeout of the game. A block by Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) and Brittney Aldridge (Hampshire, Ill./Hampshire) capped the run.
The Wildcats completed the comeback to knot the score, 24-24, but could never gain the lead before falling by two, 30-28, on a marathon final point.
Junior Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) led Northwestern with 13 kills. Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) had a team-best nine digs, while Aldridge had a match-high six blocks. Jurivich finished with 33 assists.
Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. CT Saturday, Oct. 28, against Michigan at Welsh-Ryan Arena.