Nov. 18, 2008
Northwestern Volleyball Weekly Release - Nov. 18 
Opening Serve
The Wildcats are back on the road for the final time this year, traveling to University Park, Pa., for a meeting with top-ranked and defending national champion Penn State on Friday, Nov. 21. NU then heads west to Bloomington, Ind., to meet up with Indiana on Saturday, Nov. 22, in the final road match of the season. Both matches get underway at 6 p.m. Central.
Scouting Penn State
After capturing the 2007 NCAA national championship, top-ranked Penn State has showed no signs of slowing down. The Nittany Lions are 28-0 on the year and 16-0 in the Big Ten and have yet to lose a set this season. Penn State ranks first in the conference in nearly every statistical category, including hitting .396 as a team and averaging 15.05 kills per set. The Nittany Lions have four players ranking in the top five in hitting percentage, lead by Christa Harmotto's .526 and Arielle Wilson's .457. Nicole Fawcett and Megan Hodge rank third and fourth respectively in the Big Ten in kills per set at 3.94 and 3.90, while setter Alisha Glass leads the nation in assists per set at 12.44. Defensively, Penn State has been equally as potent, ranking first in the conference in blocks per set (3.29), with, Harmotto (1.46) and Wilson (1.43) placing second and fourth in the Big Ten rankings. Fawcett is third in the conference in points per set at 4,80, while also leading the Big Ten in service aces at 0.39 per set. Libero Roberta Holehouse averages 3.33 digs per set and is fourth in the conference in service aces (0.31). Head coach Russ Rose continues to establish his reputation as one of the top volleyball coaches in the country, compiling a 953-159 (.857) record in his 30 seasons at the helm of the Nittany Lions.
Scouting Indiana
Indiana continues to be one of the surprise teams in the Big Ten as the Hoosiers enter the weekend with an overall record of 14-14 and are 6-10 in conference play. Picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll, Indiana currently sits in a three-way tie for seventh with Iowa and Michigan State after upsetting 17th-ranked Illinois in Champaign in three sets on Saturday. The Hoosiers' defense has been the spark this season as they rank fourth in the Big Ten in digs per set (13.62), fifth in blocks per set (2.56) and sixth in opponent hitting percentage (.193). Offensively, Erica Short has anchored the Indiana attack, registering 491 kills on the year and is second in the Big Ten in kills per set (4.59) while leading the league in points at 551 (5.15 per set). Ashley Benson has also been a force at the net, ranking second on the squad in kills (329) while registering an impressive 152 blocks on the season, followed by Short's 83. The Hoosiers have used the two-setter tandem of Mary Chaudoin and Hayley Koetter, who average 5.79 and 5.37 assists per set respectively. Chaudoin has also tallied 83 blocks on the year. Caitlin Cox leads the team in digs with 355, with Juli Pierce adding 300 of her own as well. Sherry Dunbar is 29-31 (.483) in her second year in Bloomington, compiling a career record of 142-53 (.728) over six seasons.
Series Information
Penn State holds a 35-8 advantage in the all-time series against Northwestern, including an 11-match winning streak over the Wildcats. The Nittany Lions took a three-set victory over NU at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Oct. 25, and have dominated the `Cats on their home court, posting a perfect 17-0 against NU at Rec Hall. The Wildcats have fared better against Indiana, as the all-time series is knotted at 27 victories apiece after the Hoosiers rallied to take a 3-2 victory over the Wildcats in Evanston on Oct. 24. Northwestern has played well at University Gym under coach Keylor Chan, winning five of the last seven matches between the two in Bloomington.
Nobilio Continues To Close In On All-Time Dig Mark
Junior Kate Nobilio continues to establish herself among the all-time greats, as with her 40 digs this past week against Iowa and Minnesota, she upped her Wildcat career total to 1,597 and moved to within 100 digs of Christie Gardner's all-time mark of 1,658. Through the first 27 matches of the year, Nobilio is averaging 18 digs per match, meaning that if she keeps up her current pace, she could sit alone atop the all-time digs list at Northwestern by the end of the season. She also upped her season total to 486 digs, which is the fourth-best season dig total in program history. Nobilio already holds the first- and third-best single-season dig totals, tallying 603 in 2007 and 508 in 2006.
Hyser Moves Into Sixth On All-Time Block List at NU
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. After recording two solo and eight total blocks against Iowa and Minnesota, Hyser upped her total blocks to 412 for her career, moving her past Mary Stack into sixth-place on the all-time list. Hyser now has 343 block assists during her four years in Evanston, which is tied with Shawn Karey for fifth-place all-time, and she also has fourth-place Sarah Ballog's 349 career block assists within her sights as well. Her 69 career solo blocks is also tied with Julie Wittig for eighth-place all-time at Northwestern. Hyser has also established herself as one of the most consistent hitters in Wildcat history, boasting a career hitting percentage of .295, the second-best total ever behind only Erika Lange's .304.
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