Sept. 19, 2008
2008 Northwestern Volleyball Statistics 
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Behind a season-high 17 kills from senior Chelsy Hyser (Belvidere, Ill./Belvidere), Northwestern rallied from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Georgetown 3-2 (18-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 15-12) at the Wildcat Classic at Welsh-Ryan Arena. NU improves to 5-4 on the season.
Despite playing the first home match of the year, it was the Hoyas (6-4) who began with the momentum, jumping out to an early 6-1 lead on the `Cats. They would extend that lead to as many as seven at 19-12, then cruised to take the opening set 25-18. Sophomore Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) led Northwestern with five kills in the first set with Hyser and sophomore Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) adding a pair a piece.
Georgetown again began quickly in the second set, holding a 16-9 advantage. But feeding off the energy of the home crowd, Northwestern outscored the Hoyas 16-6, including a 6-0 run to knot the set at 18, slipping past Georgetown 25-22. Hyser's three kills and two blocks led the way for NU while four other `Cats added a pair of kills as well. Glab contributed eight assists and notched a pair of digs of her own as well.
Set three was tightly contested from the opening serve, as neither team could break the set open. NU led by as many as five at 20-15, and appeared on course to take the match advantage. But similar to the Wildcats' run in the second set, Georgetown staged a run of their own, outscoring Northwestern 10-2 down the stretch to take the 25-22 victory. Again, it was Hyser leading the way with five kills and a pair of blocks, while freshman Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif.) added three kills and Glab again had eight assists.
In almost a mirror image of the third set, NU gradually built itself a lead in set four, holding a 20-16 advantage late. But unlike the third set, the `Cats were able to hold on this time, holding off a late Hoya run to take the 25-22 victory and force the decisive fifth set. Hyser again had five kills for the Wildcats and was complimented by four more from Ayers, while junior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) and freshman Madalyn Shalter (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) came up big defensively for NU, digging six and five ball respectively.
In perhaps the most competitive set of the afternoon, neither team was able to build any sort of substantial lead in the final set. When the Wildcats pulled ahead at 12-10, it marked the first time either team had been able to pull ahead by more than a single point. Georgetown would tie the match at 12, but that is all the Hoyas were able to muster as blocks by Glab and sophomore Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) sealed the 15-12 victory and completed the comeback for NU.
Gray and Ayers complimented the 17 kills from Hyser with 11 and 10 each, respectively, with Glab adding eight of her own to go along with 34 assists and a career-high seven blocks, including three solos. Hyser and Moffett registered five blocks apiece. Nobilio and Shalter were the defensive players of the game for the Wildcats, recording 13 digs apiece, with Shalter adding four blocks of her own.
Northwestern returns to the court at Welsh-Ryan Arena at 7 p.m. to face 7-3 Virginia. The Cavaliers fell to fourth-ranked UCLA 3-0 in the opening game of the 27th annual Wildcat Classic earlier in the day. The Bruins will meet up with Georgetown in the opening game of the evening set of the Classic, with the opening serve set to go at 5 p.m.