EVANSTON, ILL. ? Propelled by a .353 hitting percentage, Northwestern handed Drake a 3-0 volleyball setback (30-19, 30-22, 30-17) on Friday (Sept. 14) in the opener of the Wildcat Classic in Evanston, Ill.
The Wildcats were seemingly unstoppable at the net in the match as Northwestern doubled up the Bulldogs in kills (52-26) and blocks (10.5-5.0), while limiting Drake to a .040 attack mark.
In game one, the Wildcats jumped out to a 5-1 advantage and led by as many as eight points before securing a 30-19 decision.
Game two proved to be more contentious as the two sides exchanged points before a kill from freshman
Nicole Brown (Appleton, Wis./Appleton) tied the match at 16. From there, Northwestern registered four unanswered points and eight of the next 11 tallies to roll to a 30-22 triumph.
The Wildcats never trailed in the final frame and secured the match victory with a 30-17 win in game three.
Lindsay Anderson and Courtnie Paulus paced the Wildcat attack contributing 12 and 10 kills, respectively. A six-kill effort from freshman
Angela Bys (Marion, Iowa/Marion) led the Blue and White.
Sophomore
Chelsea Lauersdorf (Watertown, Wis./Watertown) distributed a team-high 21 digs for Drake, while fellow sophomore
Lindsay Schryver (Williams Bay, Wis./Williams Bay) contributed 11 digs. Brown turned in a strong effort as she recorded a career-high four kills in five attack opportunities.
Drake falls to 2-7 overall following the loss, while Northwestern improves to 7-2 on the campaign.
The Bulldogs return to action this evening as the Blue and White tangle with Saint Louis at the Wildcat Classic in Evanston, Ill. Match time is 5:00 p.m.
