Oct. 13, 2009
Northwestern Volleyball Match Notes vs. Illinois - Oct. 13 
Opening Serve
Northwestern heads south to Champaign to take on in-state rival Illinois Wednesday, October 14, at 7 p.m. in a match televised live nationally on the Big Ten Network.
Wildcats Make Big Ten Network Debut
Not only will the Wildcats' rivalry game against the Illini be for in-state bragging rights, but it will also mark Northwestern's television debut for the 2009 season. The match against Illinois will be televised live nationally on the Big Ten Network, with Randy Rhinehartand Jim Stone on the call. It is the first of three Big Ten Network matches for the' Cats this season, as NU's home matches against Michigan (Nov. 7) and the rematch with the Illini at Welsh-Ryan Arena (Nov. 25) will also be televised.
Wildcats on the Web
Fans unable to make it to Champaign for the showdown between the Wildcats and Illini will still be able to follow every Wildcat serve. Gametracker live stats will be available at NUsports.com, with live, in-match Twitter updates available @NU_SportsLIVE.
Scouting the Illini
Season: 10th-ranked Illinois is 12-3 on the year and 4-2 in Big Ten play, coming off victories over Purdue and Indiana last weekend. Head Coach: Kevin Hambly is in his first season as the Illini head coach with a 12-3 (.800) career record. Outside Hitters: All-American Laura DeBruler (Jr.) is having another big year for Illinois, ranking second in the Big Ten and 15th nationally at 4.50 kills per set (243 total) with a .299 hitting percentage ... Is also tied for the team lead with 13 service aces and has added 30 blocks and 144 digs ... Michelle Bartsch (So.) ranks second in both kills at 172 (3.19 per set) and blocks (58) while adding 117 digs ... Kylie McCulley (Sr.) has also eclipsed the 100-kill plateau, recording 156 on the year (2.89 per set), has 23 blocks and is tied for the team lead in service aces (13). Middle Blockers: Johannah Bangert (Jr.) ranks first in the Big Ten and seventh nationally with 1.52 blocks per set (82 total), complimented by 71 kills and a team-best .336 hitting percentage ... Erin Johnson (Fr.) has added 59 kills and 47 blocks for Illinois. Setter: Hilary Haen (Jr.) is second in the Big Ten and 16th nationally with 11.41 assists per set (616 total) and has 17 kills and 19 blocks. Libero: Ashley Edinger (Sr.) is Illinois' all-time digs leader, ranking fifth in the conference at 4.00 per set (216 total) with eight service aces.
Series Information
Northwestern and Illinois meet for the 69th time Wednesday with the Illini holding a 42-26 edge in the all-time series. The two teams split last year's meetings, with the Wildcats taking a thrilling five-set victory in Champaign over 17th-ranked Illinois on Oct. 17 behind 34 digs from Kate Nobilio and 12 kills from Sabel Moffett. In fact, the Wildcats have become quite comfortable at Huff Hall the past few years, having won the last four meetings between the in-state rivals in Champaign dating back to the 2005 season.
Battle of Big Ten Dig Queens
Along with the implications of the in-state rivalry when Northwestern and Illinois take the court Wednesday evening, fans will get to see two of the best dig specialists in Big Ten Conference history. The Wildcats' Kate Nobilio is currently sixth all-time in the conference's history with 1,948 career digs, while the Illini's Ashley Edinger is 10th all-time with 1,830. In six matches against Illinois, Nobilio has totaled 121 career digs, including 34 in the five-set victory at Huff Hall last season. She also dug 17 balls against Illinois in the 2008 season finale, the match that made her the program's all-time digs leader.
Keylor Chan Notches 150th Career Victory
Not only did Saturday's victory over Purdue give the Wildcats their first Big Ten win of the season, but head coach Keylor Chan also reached an impressive milestone with the win, recording the 150th victory of his 11-year coaching career. Chan has an overall record of 151-176, and is the second-winningest coach in NU history with a 133-161 mark since arriving in Evanston in 2000.
Nobilio Moves Into Sixth All-Time In Big Ten Dig History
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 43 digs over the weekend, upping her career total to 1,948. The Big Ten Conference's active dig leader, Nobilio moved past the Iowa duo of Janet Moylan and Emily Hiza into sixth all-time in the conference's history and is on the verge of becoming
just the fifth player in Big Ten history to reach the 2,000 dig plateau. Nobilio, who has started since her freshman season for the 'Cats, also holds three of the program's top-four single-season dig records, including a school-best 603 in 2007.
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