Sept. 26, 2007
Northwestern Game Notes in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- After beginning the conference season by splitting a pair of road matches against ranked opponents, Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena this weekend to kick off its Big Ten home slate versus No. 9 Wisconsin and Illinois.
The Wildcats take on the Badgers at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 28, before facing the Illini at 7 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 29. Friday's match against Wisconsin is the Chipotle BIG GAME, with free Chipotle burritos going to the first 50 Northwestern students through the doors.
Northwestern has the toughest beginning to the conference season of any Big Ten school, taking on three ranked teams in a row right off the bat. NU knocked off then-No. 23 Ohio State to begin the year -- it's first win in a league opener since 2002 -- before falling at No. 3 Penn State.
Senior Lindsay Anderson (Wilmette, Ill./New Trier) currently leads the 'Cats with 4.05 kills per game. Fellow 1,000-Kill Club member Courtnie Paulus (Belgium, Wis./Ozaukee) averages 3.39 kills per game and is hitting .270 this season, well above her career .140 average entering the year.
Sophomore libero Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) now ranks 12th in the nation with 6.00 digs per game, while freshman setter Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) is 14th in the nation with 13.13 assists per game.
Ninth-ranked Wisconsin enters the weekend with a 10-1 overall record, 2-0 in the conference. Brittney Dolgner paces the Badger attack with 4.38 terminations per game while Taylor Reineke has a team-best 1.55 blocks per game.
Illinois is 8-4 coming into the weekend, 0-2 in the Big Ten after taking Wisconsin to four games and then-No. 10 Michigan to five games in its first two matches. Laura DeBruler is the Illini's offensive outlet with 4.63 kills per game.
For Northwestern's complete weekly game notes heading into this weekend's matches, click on the .pdf link at the top of this page.
The Weekend
Friday, September 28
No. 9 Wisconsin (10-1, 2-0)
at Northwestern (10-3, 1-1) 7 p.m. CT
Saturday, September 29
Illinois (8-4, 0-2)
at Northwestern (10-3, 1-1) 7 p.m. CT
Series Records
Wisconsin: Wisconsin leads, 39-25
Last Meeting: Nov. 10, 2006 (UW, 3-2)
Illinois: Illinois leads, 40-24
Last Meeting: Nov. 1, 2006 (NU, 3-1)
On The Web
Gametracker will be available for both matches this weekend on NUsports.com. Also, live streaming video of FRIDAY'S MATCH ONLY will be available on NUsports.com via CSTV's premium All-Access service. The usual streaming video WILL NOT be available during Saturday's match due to equipment availability.