Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

37° Evanston, IL
Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881

The Daily Northwestern

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NU splits weekend games on the road (Volleyball)

After a slight detour in Minnesota, the Northwestern volleyball team has finally found its way back into the win column.

Although the No. 7 Golden Gophers (26-3, 13-1 Big Ten) swept the Wildcats (14-12, 7-7) 3-0 on Friday to hand NU its fourth loss in a row, the Cats bounced back to beat Iowa 3-1 on Saturday.

“The win brought back the mentality that we’re a really good team and we can improve our play,” senior outside hitter Cassie McKnight said.

The Cats had hoped to break their losing streak before Saturday, but Minnesota — the Big Ten’s top team — proved too much for NU to handle.

The Gophers dominated all aspects of play, from kills to service aces. They made quick work of the Cats, winning 30-22, 30-18, 30-23 in only an hour and 15 minutes.

Minnesota came out strong in the first game, never allowing NU to get within four points. After losing the second game by their largest margin, the Cats couldn’t capitalize on an early lead in the third and succumbed to the Gophers.

The Cats’ .097 hitting percentage hurt them, while the Gophers posted a .330 average. Senior middle blocker Sarah Ballog and junior outside hitter Iwona Lodzik led the Cats with eight kills each. Junior middle blocker Erika Lange wasn’t far behind with seven of her own.

But the sweep only made NU more determined to stop its losing streak.

Before the Iowa game, NU head coach Keylor Chan motivated his team by reminding them that they need more wins if they want a shot at the postseason.

“He told us that it was coming down to the end of the season, and the goal of making the NCAA tournament was bringing more pressure,” McKnight said.

Three NU players didn’t let the pressure get to them as they tallied kills in the double digits on Saturday. Lange racked up 23 kills, one short of her season-high total. Freshman outside hitter Christie Gardner almost matched her career high with 16 kills, and senior right-side hitter Kelli Meyer tacked on 11.

The Hawkeyes’ play showed they have yet to recover from the loss of star player Renee Hill, who recently sustained a season-ending knee injury. Iowa notched a meager .114 hitting percentage for the night and racked up only 43 set assists, compared to 63 for NU.

Throughout the night, the Cats felt most comfortable on defense, coming up with an impressive 76 digs. McKnight posted a season-high 13 digs and credited NU’s win in part to its bench play.

“It’s not often that some of our (bench) players get to play,” McKnight said. “But they came in and switched things up and did a tremendous job.”

NU had hoped to move up in the conference standings this weekend but remains locked in a three-way tie for sixth. The win over Iowa is crucial to the Cats’ confidence that they can move back into one of the top three Big Ten slots.

“We always go in thinking we can win, but it wasn’t until Saturday that everything came around,” McKnight said. “And with us playing better, I think we can win a couple more.”

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Northwestern University and Evanston's Only Daily News Source Since 1881
NU splits weekend games on the road (Volleyball)