Sept. 5, 2009
Northwestern vs. Miami (Ohio) Box Score 
2009 Northwestern Volleyball Statistics
INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. -- Behind a solid effort from junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal), Northwestern rallied to take an 18-25, 25-23, 25-19, 25-17 victory over Miami (Ohio) in the opening match of the IUPUI Hampton Inn Invitational. Moffett knocked down a season-best 17 kills on 24 attempts with no errors for a career-best .708 hitting percentage.
After dropping the opening set 25-18, the Wildcats (2-2) responded by jumping out to an early 10-4 advantage on the RedHawks (1-3). Miami would cut into the lead, eventually taking a two-point advantage at 20-18. But NU would take control of the set late, outscoring MU 7-3 down the stretch, with Moffett's sixth kill closing out the Wildcat victory.
Junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and sophomore Madalyn Shalter (Ottawa, Ohio/Ottawa-Glandorf) each complimented the NU attack with three kills apiece and a block apiece, while sophomore Alexandra Ayers (Playa del Rey, Calif./Marymount) added a pair of kills.
The Wildcats carried that momentum into the third set, gradually building a five-point advantage at 16-11. The RedHawks were able to trim the gap to three at 19-16, but Northwestern slammed the door on a possible comeback, taking six of the next nine points for the 25-19 win.
Moffett and Shalter once again sparked the NU attack with four kills each, with Johnson, Ayers and senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Castilleja) each adding a pair. Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) dished out 12 assists while senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) anchored the 'Cat defense with eight digs.
With victory a mere 25 points away, Northwestern took control of the fourth set and never looked back, pouncing out to the early 10-5 lead. Miami would get to within three a handful of times, but the Wildcat attack kept the RedHawks at bay and closed out the match with the 25-17 victory.
Shalter joined Moffett in the double-digit kill club, finishing with a career-high 11 on the morning, complimented by her eight digs and two blocks. Johnson added nine kills to the NU attack, with Baxterbeck and Ayers knocking down six each. Glab continued her solid play to start the year, dishing out 45 assists, with Nobilio anchoring the Northwestern defense with 21 digs.
The Wildcats get little time to prepare for their next match, as they will be back on the court at "The Jungle" at 6 p.m. CT tonight, facing the host Jaguars. Live stats of NU's match with IUPUI are available here.