Oct. 21, 2010
No. 22 Wildcats (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) vs. Ohio State (16-6, 4-5 Big Ten)
Welsh-Ryan Arena Friday, Oct. 22 7 p.m.
No. 22 Wildcats (15-4, 5-3 Big Ten) vs. No. 9 Penn State (16-4, 6-3 Big Ten)
Welsh-Ryan Arena Saturday, Oct. 23 7 p.m.
Streaming Video: Ohio State Penn State
Gametracker:
In-Match Twitter Updates: @NU_SportsLIVE
Northwestern Volleyball Match Notes (PDF)
Opening Serve
Northwestern closes out the first half of its 2010 Big Ten schedule with a pair of home matches at Welsh-Ryan Arena this weekend. The Wildcats face Ohio State at 7 p.m. Friday before welcoming three-time defending national champion Penn State to Evanston for a 7 p.m. opening serve Saturday.
Scouting the Buckeyes
2010: 16-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten. Receiving votes in this week's AVCA poll.
Last Week: W vs. Iowa (3-0), W vs. Minnesota (3-0). L vs. Penn State (0-3).
Head Coach: Geoff Carlston (Minnesota, 1993). Third season at Ohio State (53-36, .596); 11th season overall (246-100, .711).
Key Players: Katie Dull (Sr., OH): 251 kills, .255 hitting pct., 18 service aces, 51 total blocks; Anna Szerszen (Grad., OH): 175 kills, .227 hitting pct., 16 service aces, 41 total blocks; Emily Danks (So., OH): 145 kills, .262 hitting pct., 54 service aces, 52 total blocks; Allie Schwarzwalder (Sr., MB): 112 kills, .329 hitting pct., 80 total blocks; Betsy Hone (Sr., S): 584 assists, 60 kills, 24 total blocks; Sarah Mignin (Jr., LIB): 239 digs, 21 service aces.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
2010: 16-4 overall, 6-3 Big Ten. Ranked ninth in this week's AVCA poll.
Last Week: W vs. Minnesota (3-1), W vs. Iowa (3-0), W at Ohio State (3-0).
Head Coach: Russ Rose (George Williams, 1975). 32nd season at Penn State (1,017-163, .862).
Key Players: Blair Brown (R-Sr., OH): 249 kills, .300 hitting pct., 12 service aces, 56 total blocks; Deja McClendon (Fr., OH): 231 kills, .329 hitting pct., 12 service aces, 44 total blocks; Arielle Wilson (Sr., MB): 185 kills, .432 hitting pct., 11 service aces, 85 total blocks; Fatima Balza (Sr., MB): 48 kills, .360 hitting pct., 57 total blocks; Kristin Carpenter (So., S): 665 assists, 28 kills, 138 digs, 28 total blocks; Alyssa D'Errico (Sr., LIB): 258 digs, 35 service aces.
Series Information
Northwestern and Ohio State get together for the 63rd time Friday with the Buckeyes holding a 44-18 edge in the all-time series. OSU has won the last four meetings since the Wildcats swept the season series in 2007, with Northwestern winning two of the last four meetings at Welsh-Ryan Arena. Saturday marks the 47th meeting in the series between Northwestern and Penn State, with the Nittany Lions holding the 38-8 edge. Penn State has won the last 14 matches between the two since a 3-1 Northwestern victory at Welsh-Ryan Arena in 2002.
Northwestern Continues To Receive National Recognition
For the fourth-straight week, Northwestern remains among the AVCA Division I Coaches Top-25 poll, checking in at 22nd after being ranked 25th on Sept. 27, 24th on Oct. 4 and 20th on Oct. 11. The Wildcats are one of five Big Ten teams among the nation's top-25, with Illinois, Penn State, Michigan and Minnesota making appearances. Northwestern also remains among the top-10 in the NCAA RPI index, sitting ninth in this week's edition. The Wildcats are one of four Big Ten teams in the top-10 and are the third-highest rated behind the Illini and Nittany Lions and one slot better than the Gophers.
Former Wildcats Take Center Stage Saturday Night
Saturday night's match against three-time defending national champion Penn State should have quite an atmosphere surrounding it, thanks in large part to a significant amount of Wildcat alums returning to Evanston. At last count, nearly 50 former volleyball players will return to Welsh-Ryan Arena for homecoming weekend and will be honored with an on-court recognition prior to the opening serve against the Nittany Lions.
Experience Is The Key
One of the major factors to the Wildcats' success this season has been the amount of experience on the court for Northwestern. The 'Cats boast four players on the court with over 100 matches of experience, led by setter Elyse Glab's 111 matches played. Christina Kaelin (108 matches), Naomi Johnson (104) and Sabel Moffett (102) have also eclipsed the 100-match mark.
Secure Your Spot For the 2010 Camp Out With The 'Cats!
On November 6, the `Cats face Wisconsin and following the match, girls in the 8th grade and under are invited to the 3rd annual Camp Out with the 'Cats! At the event, guests will spend the night with the volleyball team, where they can participate in a volleyball clinic, eat pizza with the team, play games and stay up late to watch a movie. Time is running out to register for the popular camp out, as the deadline for registration is Friday, October 29. Call the Wildcat marketing department at (847) 467-6862 or email wildcatmarketing@northwestern.edu to register or for any other questions.
For the complete weekly release, click the PDF link above.
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