When Northwestern played Texas A&M in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Dec. 1, the program had never won a match in the 64-team tournament and had only qualified for the tournament six times in school history. The Aggies were returning to the tournament for the 13th consecutive year and had won their first round match every time.

None of that history mattered to the Wildcats. Undaunted, they came back from a two-games-to-one deficit to defeat Texas A&M 3-2 (30-26, 20-30, 28-30, 30-27, 15-12). In a tightly contested final game, neither team led by more than one point before the Cats pulled ahead 8-6. The Aggies came back 10-9 but NU finally won 15-12.

“Looking back, I am thrilled,” junior Lauren Greenwood said. “To make it to the second round of the tournament, which is something the school has never done, I am very proud.”

Coach Keylor Chan attributed the win in part to a strong blocking night for the Cats, which “really set the tone.” He said NU was able to control the Aggies’ All-American hitter, Laura Jones, particularly well in games four and five.

NU recorded 19 total blocks during the match, while Texas A&M had just nine. However, the Cats trailed the Aggies in kills, digs, assists and aces. The match also marked the 100th win of Chan’s career, but he felt the team’s success during the season and tournament win outweigh his personal accomplishments as a coach.

“The team performed when it really mattered,” Chan said. “I thought our team played hard and with a lot of resilience.”

The Cats went 9-1 during the pre-conference season, their best start since 1987. NU struggled during the first half of Big Ten play but came back during the second half to finish 19-11.

“It’s pretty unheard of to go 3-7 in the first half, then 7-3 in the second half (of the Big Ten season),” said senior libero Christie Gardner, who set NU’s single-match, single-season, and career dig records and was an All-Big Ten honorable mention, said. “The team rallied together and won big games.”

After defeating the Aggies, NU fell to No. 6 Notre Dame on Dec. 2 in three close games (30-27, 32-30, 30-28).

The Cats had more kills, digs and aces than the Irish, but in contrast to the night before, their blocking suffered.

“You can’t walk away completely satisfied because I really think our team was capable of beating Notre Dame,” Gardner said.

NU finished the season 20-12 overall, their best winning percentage since 1987, while Notre Dame lost to Wisconsin in the third round. Although she was disappointed with the loss, Gardner said her team should be proud of its achievement.

“Just to get past the first round was a huge accomplishment,” Gardner said. “We were happy with how we competed.”

When Chan began coaching the Cats in 2000, NU hadn’t finished higher than ninth in the Big Ten since 1990. The year before he took over, the Cats finished last in the league. They hadn’t qualified for the tournament since 1988.

The Cats finished last again in 2000, but improved to eighth the next year and made the tournament in 2002 and 2003. With an extremely young team last season, the Cats finished ninth, but they broke out this season, finishing sixth in the Big Ten.

Traditionally, the top six to eight Big Ten teams qualify for the tournament because the league is recognized as a very strong volleyball conference – but NU didn’t know for sure it had made it until the official announcement on November 27. Chan described making the tournament as “a relief for the team.”

“We were all together (when the tournament selections were announced),” Gardner said. “We thought we would get in but it was possible we wouldn’t. This year I went in (to the tournament) with more confidence than in the past.”

Chan said the Cats hope to win two rounds in the tournament next year, which would put them in the Sweet 16. But first they’ll have to prove themselves in Big Ten play again.

“They understand the path and the hard work (involved in going to the tournament),” Chan said. “They can’t take it for granted that we’ll be (at the tournament).”

The team is relatively young, with just two graduating seniors: Gardner and defense specialist Lizzie Carlson.

Like Chan, Greenwood is optimistic about her team’s chances.

“We know we have the ability if we work hard in the offseason to go further,” Greenwood said.

Reach Annie Martin at [email protected].