Sept. 22, 2009
Northwestern Volleyball Weekly Release - Sept. 22 
Opening Serve
Northwestern brings a six-match winning streak into the start of Big Ten Conference play, hosting two-time defending national champion and top-ranked Penn State at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 25. The Wildcats then welcome Ohio State to Welsh-Ryan Arena at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26.
Wildcats on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Evanston this weekend will still be able to catch every Wildcat point. Live live streaming video of both matches against Penn State and Ohio State will be available at NUsports.com, along with Gametracker live stats.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Season: Penn State is 12-0 on the year, coming off victories over Saint Francis (Pa.) and Temple ... The Nittany Lions have not dropped a set this year, winning all 36 through the preseason schedule. Head Coach: Russ Rose is in his 31st season with the Nittany Lions with a 975-159 (.860) career record and three national championships. Outside Hitters: Penn State ranks first in the country in hitting percentage (.448) and second in kills per set (14.75) ... Megan Hodge (Sr.), the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week, ranks fifth nationally in hitting percentage (.495) and 11th in kills per set (4.65), leading PSU in kills (158) while adding 22 blocks ... Darcy Dorton (Fr.) has 90 kills and 13 blocks. Middle Blockers: Arielle Wilson (Jr.) leads the nation in hitting percentage (.580) and is the Nittany Lions' block leader with 52 ... Fatima Balza (Jr.) is hitting .452 with 40 kills and ranks second on the team with 40 blocks ... Blair Brown (R-Jr.) is second on the team in kills (91) and kills per set (2.94) and ranks third in blocks (31). Setter: Penn State ranks fifth nationally in assists per set (13.56) ... Alisha Glass (Sr.) is second nationally in assists per set (12.03), adding 26 kills and 26 blocks. Libero: Alyssa D'Errico (Jr.) is averaging 3.61 digs per set (130 total) and is fourth nationally in service aces per set (0.69).
Scouting the Buckeyes
Season: Ohio State is 12-1 in 2009, going 3-0 at the Ohio State Sports Imports Classic this past weekend. Head Coach: Geoff Carlston is in his second year at the helm of the Buckeyes with a 24-21 (.533) record and is 217-85 (.719) in 10 seasons as a head coach. Outside Hitters: Ohio State ranks seventh nationally in team hitting percentage (.301) ... Katie Dull (Jr.) leads OSU in kills (178) and kills per set (3.87) while adding 15 service aces, 107 digs and 28 blocks ... Emily Danks (Fr.) is averaging 2.32 kills per set (109 total) and ranks second in blocks (32) ... Anna Szerszen (R-Sr.) has added 80 kills and 13 blocks for the Buckeyes. Middle Blockers: Kristen Dozier (Sr.) ranks second in kills (115), averaging 2.50 per set, while leading the team with 42 blocks (six solo) ... Kelli Barhorst (So.) has added 60 kills and 21 blocks for Ohio State. Setter: Amanda Peterson (Fr.) ranks eighth in the Big Ten with 9.98 assists per set to go along with 55 kills and 22 blocks. Libero: Chelsea Noble (R-Sr.) has 175 digs on the year, averaging 3.72 per set to go along with 10 service aces.
Series Information
Northwestern and Penn State get together for the 45th time Friday with the Nittany Lions holding a 36-8 edge in the series. The Nittany Lions have won the last 12 meetings between the two dating back to the 2002 season when the Wildcats took a 3-1 decision at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Saturday marks the 61st match between Northwestern and Ohio State as the Buckeyes hold a 46-14 series advantage. OSU won both meetings in 2008 after the Wildcats swept the 2007 series.
Moffett Earns Wildcat Classic MVP Honors
For the third-straight week, Sabel Moffett captured Most Valuable Player honors after leading Northwestern to the Wildcat Classic title. Moffett had 31 kills, a .397 hitting percentage and 18 blocks (including seven solo) to pace NU to 3-0 victories over Akron, Long Island and Cincinnati. Moffett was joined on the all-tournament team by Elyse Glab and Kate Nobilio, both of which played key roles for the `Cats. Glab finished with 96 assists, eight kills and 18 digs while Nobilio added 38 digs and 11 assists.
Nobilio Closes In On 2,000
Senior Kate Nobilio, who has already cemented her legacy as Northwestern's all-time digs leader, continues to close in on an impressive career milestone. Nobilio had 38 digs over the weekend, upping her career total to 1,863. The Big Ten Conference's active dig leader, she ranks second in the conference in digs per set at 4.71 and is on the verge of becoming just the fifth player in the conference's history to reach the 2,000 dig plateau. Nobilio, who has started since her freshman season for the 'Cats, also holds the program's single-season dig mark (603 in 2007).
Glab Moves Into Fifth On Wildcats' All-Time Assist Leaders
Junior Elyse Glab has been a key factor for the Wildcats since her first match as a freshman as she continues to move up the program's all-time assist list. Glab recorded 96 assists over the weekend to up her career total to 2,762 and is just 113 helpers shy of surpassing Andrea Proos (1985-88) for fourth all-time. She ranks sixth in the conference and 28th nationally, averaging 10.76 assists per set.
For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above.