Sept. 19, 2009
Box Score
Northwestern vs. Long Island Box Score 
2009 Northwestern Volleyball Statistics
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Northwestern made quick work of Long Island at the 28th annual Wildcat Classic, defeating the Blackbirds 25-11, 25-10, 25-12 in a match lasting just an hour and four minutes. The Wildcats tied a program-low with seven hitting errors, knocking down 35 kills on 72 attempts for a .389 hitting percentage for their fifth consecutive victory.
Northwestern (8-3) used a balanced attack on the afternoon, with five players recording at least five kills. Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) once again paced the 'Cats, knocking down seven kills while tying a season-high with eight blocks. Juniors Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) and sophomore Madalyn Shalter (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) each had six for NU while senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) added five.
Defensively, the Wildcats were just as tough, holding Long Island (3-9) to a -.047 team hitting percentage. NU was dominant at the nets, finishing with 13 total blocks. Moffett had four solo blocks to go along with her four block assists, with Johnson, Shalter and junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) each recording three block assists. Glab finishes with 29 assists and three kills while senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) led all players with 12 digs.
The Wildcats controlled the tempo of the match from the opening serve, racing out to a 16-8 lead on the Blackbirds in the opening set. Northwestern would tally six of the final seven points to take the 25-11 victory with the 'Cats recording 13 kills on 19 attempts with only one error for a .632 hitting percentage.
Leading 7-5 in set two, NU again pieced together a key run, outscoring LIU 8-1 to build a comfortable 15-6 advantage. Leading 20-10, the Wildcats again showed that killer instinct, notching the final five points of the set for the 2-0 lead at the break.
Northwestern continued to dominate in the third set, pouncing out to an early 12-2 advantage to all but seal the match. Holding a 21-12 cushion, the Wildcats scored the final four points for their eighth victory in their last nine matches.
Svetlana Simic paced the Long Island offensive charge, finishing with a match-high nine kills with five digs. Martina Racic had four kills and a pair of blocks for the Blackbirds.
Northwestern closes out the 28th annual Wildcat Classic at 7 p.m. tonight against Cincinnati. The Bearcats, who received five votes in this week's AVCA Coaches Top 25 Poll, are 9-5 on the year after surviving a late Akron charge to hold of the Zips in five sets earlier this morning. Live streaming video and statistics are available at NUsports.com, with live, in-match Twitter updates @NU_SportsLIVE.