By Pritish BehuriaThe Daily Northwestern
At 4-6 in the Big Ten this season, the Wildcats are looking for a win streak to take them to the NCAA Championships this year.
But when they take on Michigan and Michigan State at home this weekend, junior Courtnie Paulus said the Cats need to fix a lot of problems to put away games and get that magic bid.
“We’re not really big enough physically to take over a game,” said Paulus, who has hit three consecutive double-doubles. “We’re a small team and that’s why it’s very important we pull together as a team.”
But then again, the Cats had a worse start last year, when the season looked lost in November.
The Cats found themselves 2-0 down in a match against Purdue on Nov. 4 last year that was decisive in their hopes of qualifying for the NCAA tournament. Coach Keylor Chan and his team didn’t give up and turned the season around, starting by coming back to win the match in a game that sparked a 6-1 run that took them to the NCAA tournament.
Chan said the match was pivotal in the run that saw the Cats rise up the Big Ten standings and end the season on a high note.
This season, the Cats will not need that kind of a run to guarantee a berth in the NCAA tournament, but they will need a few more victories. They are one win better than 3-7 at the same stage last season.
“We practice hard, play tough and can definitely go 7-3 again in the second half (of the season),” Paulus said. “We play a smart style of volleyball and are constantly learning and getting better.”
What has been lacking this season is momentum and the Cats’ ability to finish off a game. It was evident in Purdue last weekend when the Cats were up in the third game of a match level at 1-1, and slumped to defeat.
“We’re winning a game and then losing big points,” Chan said. “We need to string some wins together and generate some momentum.”
Errors have also been a major force in NU’s losses this season. The Cats have been conceding errors at crucial points of the game, a problem they need to remedy this in order to succeed in the second half of this season.
“The only way we can cut errors is by practicing,” senior Cassie McLaughlin said. “We need to reduce errors, beat ranked teams and go on a big run.”
Paulus said the team also needed to improve their ball control and be more vocal on court. She said they had to make it easier for the primary setter, junior Stephanie Jurivich, to get to balls and set up plays.
But McLaughlin said the team is constantly maturing and is a lot more experienced than last year’s team. She said she hoped to finish in the top four in the Big Ten and reach the sweet sixteen of the NCAA Championships.
“The next two weekends of volleyball dictate the rest of our season,” Chan said. “We’re playing well and the group can do it.”
Reach Pritish Behuria at [email protected].
