A brash, vocal newcomer made her mark on Northwestern volleyball on the first day of practice in 2001.
Drew Robertson asserted herself from day one. She cussed, she screamed, she dove for digs and blistered kills. She yelled at upperclassmen and bristled with intensity.
It was rare to see a freshman so confident and fiercely competitive. But Robertson’s audacity signaled to everyone that she was all business.
She beat out a junior for the starting setter job, then played in all 27 matches her freshman year. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshmen Team, led the Wildcats in assists, digs per game and double-doubles, and was second in service aces and third in blocks.
The Drew Robertson era had arrived.
Now, four years and an NU record 4,938 assists later, it’s winding to a close. Robertson and fifth-year senior Leah Delcourt will play their final matches at Welsh-Ryan Arena this weekend against Michigan State and Michigan.
“It’ll be real emotional,” coach Keylor Chan said. “Hopefully we’ll be able to control (the emotions). Drew and Leah are special kids.”
IN THE BEGINNING
Chan first spotted Robertson at a Junior Nationals tournament in Louisville, Ky., in June 2000. He had only one scholarship to give and decided it would go to Robertson, then a high school junior.
“We really hadn’t even looked at (NU),” said Robertson’s mother, Cynthia Robertson. “We didn’t anticipate her going that far away.”
The Long Beach, Calif., native had her heart set on Stanford, but Chan’s pitch was enticing: He wanted to rebuild NU’s volleyball program, and he wanted Robertson in the middle of it all.
“I think Drew was always a sucker for a challenge, sort of like me,” Chan said. “I think the challenge of turning a program around and being an integral part of it — and knowing it would be hard — appealed to Drew.”
Robertson chose NU for the challenge as well as the academics, the players and the coaches. She also liked having the opportunity to start right away — which she wouldn’t have gotten to do at Stanford.
But at NU, she needed to beat out junior Kelli Meyer, who had recorded 1,195 assists the previous season, fourth on NU’s all-time list. In most years, Meyer’s job would have been safe, but Robertson ultimately earned the starting spot, along with her teammates’ respect.
“She’s always kind of been the leader since that moment because people respected the fact that she wanted to win,” Delcourt said.
The Cats struggled during Robertson’s first year, finishing 10-17. But as a sophomore Robertson helped the team finish 17-16 and earn a trip to the NCAA tournament. She set an NU single-season record with 1,515 assists, and appeared in all 126 games.
Robertson led NU to another NCAA tournament appearance as a co-captain her junior year. She was top 25 nationally in assists and kills per game and recorded nine double-doubles.
Robertson was establishing herself as one of the greatest volleyball players NU had seen in a long time.
THE TWILIGHT
This season has been difficult on the senior. NU is 8-18 overall and 3-13 in the Big Ten heading into the final two weekends of matches, and the losses have hit Robertson particularly hard.
“I’m pretty intense, vocal; I like to win,” Robertson said. “I’m really competitive and pretty fiery, I guess.”
She not only likes to win; she also hates to lose.
During games, Robertson has been known to lash out at anyone within earshot. Her outbursts, often expletive-filled, are part encouraging, part criticizing, part intimidating — but always loud.
Freshman Lindsay Anderson said she was a little taken aback by Robertson’s first flare-up, but said, “Once you get to know her, you know it’s just the intensity that she has.”
Junior Christie Gardner called it Robertson’s “competitive edge,” something that seeps into everyone around her.
When Robertson broke NU’s all-time assists record on Oct. 30, she casually waved off the monumental achievement after the match. “I’m really happy about it, but I’m more excited about the win,” she said.
Robertson has matured over her career, Chan said, learning how to build relationships and act like a leader.
“I think that those things have led Drew in a really good direction, and she’ll be ready to walk out of here knowing that she’s done great things,” Chan said.
Robertson said she has mixed emotions about the final matches of her career.
On one hand, she’s glad she doesn’t need to worry about volleyball anymore. But then again, “I don’t know what I’m going to do with my life without volleyball.”
The strong-willed, intelligent senior hopes to work as an intern for a year before applying to law school.
“It’s been a great learning experience,” Robertson said. “There were a lot of highs, a lot of lows, and I think I’ve come out a better person.”
Reach Anthony Tao at [email protected].
NU (8-18, 3-13 Big Ten) vs. Michigan State (11-13, 6-10)
When: 7 p.m. Today
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena
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NU (8-18, 3-13 Big Ten) vs. Michigan (18-9, 8-8)
When: 7 p.m. Saturday
Where: Welsh-Ryan Arena
