Aug. 28, 2009
Northwestern at Kentucky Box Score 
2009 Northwestern Volleyball Statistics
Box Score
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Northwestern opened up its 2009 campaign by taking the opening set against 21st-ranked Kentucky in a battle of Wildcats. But the reigning SEC runner-up outlasted NU in a competitive four-set match as the visiting Wildcats fell 25-23, 18-25, 21-25, 22-25. Senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) tied a career-best with 16 kills, while sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) added 14 and junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) registered 11.
Northwestern tallied the first four points of the opening set, thanks to a pair of kills from junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) and extended that lead to five at 16-11. Kentucky used an 11-4 run to take a 22-20 advantage, only to see NU answer with three straight points to go on top 23-22. Tied at 23, Northwestern used a Kentucky service error and wide attack to take the opening set 25-23. Ayers led the NU attack with five kills, with Baxterbeck adding four to go along with a pair of blocks. Senior libero Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had eight digs on defense for the purple 'Cats.
Kentucky pounced out to the quick start in set two, using a 5-0 to take an early 11-4 advantage. Trailing 19-12, Northwestern used a 4-0 run to cut the gap to three at 19-16 and again at 21-18, but that was as close as NU was able to get. UK would tally the last four points of the second set to take the 25-18 victory and knot the match at a set apiece. Johnson paced the Northwestern offensive charge with four kills with Baxterbeck adding three of her own. Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) also dished out 10 assists in the set.
Both sets of Wildcats traded points early in the third set, before three straight points gave Kentucky the 11-8 advantage. Northwestern was able to claw back to tie the set a handful of times before finally breaking on top at 17-16 thanks to a block from Johnson. Tied at 20 late, UK registered five of the final six points to take the third set 25-21, the largest lead for either team. Ayers again was the top attacker for NU, registering five kills in the set and was complimented by another four from Baxterbeck. The duo also joined Nobilio with four digs while Glab had 12 assists.
Kentucky maintained that momentum in to the fourth set, building a four-point advantage at 11-7. After an NU timeout, the purple 'Cats responded with four-straight points to pull even with UK at 11. Neither team was able to put take control of the set as the two continued to trade points, finding themselves deadlocked at 19. But in similar fashion to the third set, Kentucky used a late 6-3 run to close out the set 25-22 and seal the victory. Baxterbeck and Johnson each landed five kills, while Glab dished out 15 assists and Nobilio registered nine digs.
Baxterbeck's 16 kills ties her personal-best set last season against Indiana, and her 37 attempts is the second-highest total of her career. Along with the three Wildcats with double-digit kills, Moffett added eight and led the team in blocks with four, while sophomore Madalyn Shalter (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) set a new personal-best with seven kills on the night. Glab closed out her night with three kills and a team-high 46 assists while Nobilio led all players with 28 digs on the night, leaving her seven shy of 1,700 for her career.
There is no rest for the weary as Northwestern returns to the court at Memorial Coliseum for a pair of matches on Saturday, August 29. The Wildcats face Florida International at 11 a.m. CT, then close out their stay in the Bluegrass State by facing Western Carolina at 4 p.m. FIU defeated Western in three sets Friday afternoon.