Oct. 28, 2006
Box Score
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Sophomore Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) set a school record for blocks with 15, and Northwestern used a spirited comeback effort in the fifth game Saturday night against Michigan at Welsh-Ryan Arena to defeat the Wolverines, 22-30, 31-29, 30-23, 23-30, 15-12.
Hyser's 15 blocks best Erika Lange's previous school record of 14, a number she reached twice in matches against Michigan on Oct. 13, 2000, and versus Loyola (Ill.) on Oct. 16, 2001. Hyser had two solo blocks and 13 block assists in the match; her block assist total tied Lange's school record in that category as well.
Hyser's 15 blocks ties for the eighth-best total in Big Ten conference history, and is the best performance in the entire conference since Penn State's Robyn Guokas had 15 against Michigan on Oct. 7, 2000.
With the win, the Wildcats improve to 11-10 overall, 5-7 in the Big Ten. NU split its season series with Michigan after dropping a 3-0 decision in Ann Arbor on Oct. 6. The loss drops the Wolverines to 17-8 on the season, 4-8 in the conference.
In game one, Michigan used a 6-1 run early on to take a 12-6 lead and force a Northwestern timeout. The Wildcats had begun the game with a 3-1 lead after back-to-back blocks by Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) and Hyser.
The Wildcats brought the deficit all the way back down to one, 21-20, on a kill by Hyser, but the Wolverines tallied the next two points to regain a three-point advantage, 23-20, and cause NU to take its second timeout. Michigan cruised to a game one win from there, 30-22.
After falling behind by three, 9-6, early in game two, Northwestern used an 8-2 run to take a three-point lead, 14-11, and force a Michigan timeout. A pair of Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) kills capped the run for the 'Cats.
The Wolverines did not let the Wildcats pull away, knotting the score, 17-17. When Michigan eventually took the lead back, 21-20, Northwestern head coach Keylor Chan used a timeout. NU quelled UM's momentum, and both teams traded points until the Wildcats earned a quick pair to take a 26-25 lead, causing the Wolverines to elect to use their second timeout.
An Anderson kill gave the Wildcats four game-point opportunities, 29-25, but the Wolverines managed to score the next four points to tie the score, 29-29. Another Anderson kill stopped the run, then a UM attack error gave game two to the 'Cats, 31-29, to even the match, 1-1.
Northwestern roared out to a 15-6 lead in game three, recording five blocks during the start. A solo block by Stephanie Jurivich (LaGrange, Ill./St. Ignatius) and four assisted blocks all involving Hyser helped the Wildcats to a massive 12-1 run that forced the Wolverines to use both of their timeouts in the game early.
Northwestern never let Michigan get within five points the rest of the way, cruising to a 30-23 game three win. Hyser compiled two solo blocks and four block assists in the game to reach 11 total blocks in the match, topping her previous career-best of nine set at No. 9 Hawaii on Sept. 8, 2006.
Game four saw the Wolverines obtain the first separation, causing a Wildcat timeout when the visitor's lead hit three, 15-12. Northwestern brought the advantage back down to one, 16-15, on a block by Hyser and Paulus, but Michigan grew its cushion back out to four, 21-17, to force NU to use its second timeout. The Wildcats could not stage the comeback, falling in game four, 30-23, to send the match to a fifth game.
The teams exchanged the first six points of the rubber game, then UM scored three in a row to take a 6-3 lead and cause an NU timeout. Michigan then took an 8-5 lead into the side switch.
After an extended point gave the Wolverines a four-point lead, 9-5, on the kill of an overpass, the Wildcats used their second timeout. Northwestern scored the next three points -- including a block by Hyser and Jurivich that gave Hyser her 14th block of the match -- to bring the deficit down to one, 10-9, and force a Michigan timeout.
A Paulus kill and a Lauren Greenwood (Brentwood, Tenn./Brentwood) ace accounted for the next two points, giving NU its first lead of game five, 11-10, and giving the Wolverines cause to use their second timeout in the midst of a 5-0 Wildcats' run.
With the score tied, 11-11, Paulus earned a kill, then Anderson killed a swing before she combined with Hyser on a block to give the Wildcats three match points, 14-11. Anderson's 17th kill ended the match with a 15-12 game five victory for the Wildcats.
Paulus recorded a double-double with a career-best 21 digs and a match-high 18 kills. Freshman Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had 17 digs for the 'Cats. Jurivich finished with a career-best eight blocks.
Northwestern returns to action at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday, Nov. 1, in a midweek match-up at Illinois.