Oct. 21, 2008
Northwestern Volleyball Weekly Release - Oct. 21 
Opening Serve
Northwestern wraps up the first half of the Big Ten Conference schedule by hosting Indiana Friday, Oct. 24, at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats then welcome top-ranked and defending national champion Penn State to Evanston Saturday, Oct. 25. Both matches get underway at 7 p.m.
Scouting Indiana
Indiana comes to Evanston with a 10-10 overall record and are 2-6 in the Big Ten. The Hoosiers defeated Ohio State in Columbus 3-1 on Friday before falling to Michigan 3-0 in Ann Arbor Saturday. The strong point of this Indiana team thus far has been their strength at the net, as the Hoosiers rank fourth in the conference with 2.8 blocks per set and are sixth in kills at 13.56 per set. Senior Erica Short leads the conference in kills per set (4.78) while sophomore Ashley Benson is third in the Big Ten in blocks per set (1.52). Benson is also second on the team in kills with 213, while Short is second in blocks with 64, forming a dangerous duo at the net. Sophomore Taylor Wittmer has added 153 kills for Indiana, with freshman Mary Chaudoin blocking 58 attempts as well. Chaudoin and sophomore Hayley Koetter have shared time at the setter position with both averaging over five assists per set. Senior Juli Pierce and freshman Caitlin Cox have anchored the Hoosier backcourt as each are averaging over three digs per set. Head coach Sherry Dunbar is 25-27 (.481) in her two years in Bloomington, while compiling an overall record of 138-49 (.738) in her six seasons as a head coach.
Scouting Penn State
After capturing the 2007 national championship, Penn State has showed no signs of letting up as the Nittany Lions are 20-0 on the year and have not lost a set this season. Penn State is 8-0 in the conference, coming off sweeps of Michigan and Ohio State last weekend. The Nittany Lions lead the Big Ten and the nation in nearly every statistical category, and boast a team hitting percentage of .398, while holding their opponents to just .062. Seniors Nicole Fawcett and Christa Harmotta have anchored the frontcourt for PSU, as Fawcett ranks fourth in the conference in kills per set (3.88), fifth in hitting percentage (.410) and is tops in service aces (0.45). Meanwhile, Harmotta leads the nation in hitting percentage (.512) and ranks second in the Big Ten in blocks (1.54). Junior Megan Hodge sits right behind Fawcett in fifth-place in kills per set (3.83) while sophomores Arielle Wilson and Blair Brown have also notched triple-digit kill totals for Penn State. Junior Alisha Glass leads the nation in assists per set at 12.33 while senior libero Roberta Holehouse averages 3.31 digs per set and is fifth in the conference in service aces at 0.30. One of the top coaches in the nation, Russ Rose is in his 30th season at the helm of the Nittany Lions and is one of just three coaches to reach the 900-win plateau. He has compiled a career record of 945-159 (.856), making him the winningest active coach in Division I, and has led Penn State to 11 Big Ten Conference championships and two national titles.
Series Information
Friday's match marks the 54th meeting between Northwestern and Indiana with the Wildcats clinging to a slim 27-26 series advantage. The two schools split the season series in 2007, as the Hoosiers took a 3-1 decision in Bloomington before NU swept Indiana 3-0 in Evanston. Welsh-Ryan Arena has given the Wildcats a home-court advantage against the Hoosiers as Northwestern has won the last three matches and four of the last five against Indiana in Evanston. The Wildcats haven't fared as well against Penn State as the Nittany Lions hold a commanding 34-8 advantage in the all-time series, including having won the last 10 matches between the two. Penn State has also played extremely well at Welsh-Ryan, having won four matches in a row and 14 of the last 16 in Evanston.
Wildcats Ready to "Dig For The Cure"
Northwestern's match against Penn State on Saturday is much more than just a conference game against the top-ranked Nittany Lions. The Wildcats will be teaming up with the Susan G. Komen Foundation to "Dig for the Cure" in the battle against breast cancer, as a number of special festivities are planned for the evening. The Wildcats will be sporting pink jerseys that evening, and there will be prizes and other donation opportunities for fans to help lend their support. For more information on the "Dig for the Cure," click on the 2008 Promotions link on the volleyball home page at NUSports.com or you can e-mail wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu.
Nobilio Continues to Close In On All-Time Digs Mark
Junior Kate Nobilio continues to establish herself among the all-time greats, as with her 48 digs last week against Illinois and Purdue she continues to inch closer to the all-time digs mark. Nobilio sits at 1,481 for her career, just 177 digs shy of Christie Gardner to become the all-time leader. If she keeps up her current pace of nearly 19 digs per match, Nobilio could sit atop the standings before the 2008 season is completed.
Hyser Joins Ranks Among Wildcat Blocking Elite
Senior Chelsy Hyser has been a constant at the net over the last four years for the Wildcats, and the Belvidere, Ill. native has put her name in the record books as one of the top blockers in the program's history. Hyser enters the weekend with 320 career block assists, moving her past Pattijean McCahill into seventh-place all-time, just 19 behind sixth-place Stephanie Kammes. Her 63 solo blocks ranks Hyser ninth all-time, six behind Julie Wittig's 69, and her 383 total blocks moves her into eighth-place all-time, 14 shy of seventh-place Sarah Ballog's 397. She is also one of the top hitters in Wildcat history, as her career .300 hitting percentage is second on the all-time list, just shy of Erika Lange's career mark of .304.
For the complete weekly release, click here.