Oct. 1, 2007
Northwestern Game Notes in PDF Format
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EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern will make its debut on the Big Ten Network with a pair of matches this week, first traveling to Michigan State for a midweek contest Wednesday before visiting No. 16 Michigan on Sunday.
The Wildcats and the Spartans get underway at 5:30 p.m. CT, Wednesday, Oct. 3, with the same day-delay Big Ten Network broadcast beginning at 7 p.m. CT Wednesday evening. NU and UM are slated for a 1 p.m. CT Sunday, October 7, start with the broadcast rolling at 4 p.m. CT on the Network.
Northwestern entered the conference schedule with a 9-2 record, but has dropped its last three matches after taking down No. 23 Ohio State to start the Big Ten season.
Michigan State and Michigan have not fared much better of late. The Spartans are winless in the Big Ten through the first two weeks of play, while the Wolverines are 1-3 in the conference after entering the league season with a perfect 12-0 record and a No. 10 national ranking.
Redshirt freshman Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) has stepped up as Northwestern's top offensive option during Big Ten play, leading the Wildcats with 4.13 kills per game to rank fifth in the conference during league matches. Gray also ranks eighth in the conference with 4.40 points per game in Big Ten play.
Junior Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere) killed 27 swings last weekend, and rates fourth in the Big Ten with a .387 hitting percentage through the first four conference matches. She is the highest-ranked league athlete in the category not playing for Penn State.
Michigan will mark Northwestern's fourth ranked opponent in its first six matches of the Big Ten schedule this year. NU already has played OSU, Penn State and Wisconsin.
For Northwestern's complete game notes package for the upcoming week, click on the .pdf link at the top of this page.
The Weekend
Wednesday, October 3
Northwestern (10-5, 1-3)
at Michigan State (9-7, 0-4) 5:30 p.m. CT
Sunday, October 7
Northwestern (10-5, 1-3)
at No. 16 Michigan (13-3, 1-3) 1 p.m. CT
Series Records
Michigan State: Northwestern leads, 29-23
Last Meeting: Oct. 27, 2006 (MSU, 3-0)
Michigan: Michigan leads, 29-23
Last Meeting: Oct. 28, 2006 (NU, 3-2)
On Your Television
Both of Northwestern's matches this week will be nationally televised on a same-day delay basis by the Big Ten Network. Wednesday's match against MSU will begin at 7 p.m. CT, while Sunday's will get underway at 4 p.m. CT on the BTN. If you don't get the BTN, call your cable provider and tell them you want BTN!
On The Web
Gametracker will be available for both matches this weekend at NUsports.com.