Oct. 14, 2009
Northwestern at Illinois Box Score 
2009 Northwestern Volleyball Statistics
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Northwestern fell behind early to 10th-ranked Illinois, falling 20-25, 16-25, 19-25 to the Illini. Senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Chapparal) and juniors Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) and Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) each had eight kills on the night as the Wildcats drop to 11-8 on the year and 2-5 in Big Ten play.
Junior Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) was the only other Wildcat to finish with multiple kills, adding five on the night. Moffett led the team with three blocks, complimented by a pair each from Johnson and redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central). Junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) dished out 29 assists on the night and is two shy of reaching 3,000 for her career.
Senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) continues to rewrite the record books, reaching another impressive career milestone on the night. Nobilio finished with 18 digs against the Illini, upping her career total to 1,966 and moving into fifth-place in Big Ten history, surpassing Penn State's Kaleena Walters (2002-05). Baxterbeck and freshman Julie Chin (Naperville, Ill./North) also had double-digit dig totals, finishing with 13 and 10 respectively.
Illinois and Northwestern battled early in the opening set, as after eight ties and three lead changes the Wildcats held a 14-13 advantage. But a 7-2 Illini run put them on top at 20-16, and Illinois would keep that advantage down the stretch, taking set one 25-20.
Baxterbeck had a team-high four kills in the opening stanza with three digs and a block while Johnson added three kills and a block. Glab had 10 assists while Nobilio dug a set-high eight balls.
The Illini carried the opening set momentum into the secon , building an 11-5 lead on the 'Cats. That lead would extend to as many as 11 at 22-11 before Illinois thwarted a late NU rally and took set two 25-16 into the break.
A pair of kills from Moffett and Johnson led the Northwestern attack, with Moffett adding a solo block. Nobilio matched her opening-set total of eight digs en route to moving into fifth in Big Ten history.
The Wildcat came out strong after intermission, pouncing out to an early 10-8 lead on the Illini. But another surge by Illinois put them on top 16-11, a lead they would never relinquish. Northwestern was able to claw to within four at 20-16, but Illinois held off NU for its first victory over the Wildcats in Champaign since 2004.
A trio of Illini finished with double-digit kills on the night, led by Michelle Bartsch's 13. Laura DeBruler and Kylie McCulley each added a dozen with Hillary Haen finishing with 41 assists.
Northwestern returns to Welsh-Ryan Arena for another Big Ten match against a top-10 team, this time facing sixth-ranked Minnesota Saturday, Oct. 17, at 7 p.m.