THUMBS UP
Volleyball off to best start in 23 years
Though the analogy has a few snags, it’s not a stretch to suggest that the 2010 edition of the volleyball team has shades of 1995 Rose Bowl all over it. The Wildcats entered this week at No. 25 on the AVCA Poll and is off to a blazing 12-1 start, both are firsts since 1987. Led by seniors Sabel Moffett and Naomi Johnson, the team looks to break into the NCAA tourney for the first time since 2005. The ‘Cats play a weekend slate at Wisconsin and No. 7 Illinois before returning for a 7 p.m. match-up versus Iowa next Friday.
THUMBS DOWN
No love for 4-0 ‘Cats
No one’s going to believe that tossing around a few pillow-soft opponents merits a “B-C-S!” cheer for Ryan Field’s habitants, but the polls can’t even throw us a bone. In the AP and USA TODAY Coaches’ polls, Northwestern ranks as the worst 4-0 team in the country, save for an anomaly in the USA TODAY poll in which Northwestern cedes that label to copycat Kansas State. In comparison to similarly reputed 4-0 teams like Michigan State, Nevada and NC State, the only distinction setting NU apart is the lack of an offense that fires like a submachine gun. We’re not out to put a jinx on the team, but assuming the ‘Cats remain undefeated after this weekend and a few more teams’ heads roll, Northwestern should be rewarded a nice, shiny ranking come poll time on Sunday.
THUMBS UP
Field Hockey cracks the Buckeyes
Entering last Thursday’s match against No. 6 Ohio State, the third and final game against a ranked opponent, the ‘Cats had dropped their previous two underdog matches by a combined 8-1. Although all three matches against ranked teams this year were away games, the ‘Cats managed to steal one from the Buckeyes on their court by a score of 3-2. The strong start to conference play gives the ‘Cats momentum to finish the season with a flourish. The roster is loaded with playmakers that can erupt game-to-game, but the most prominent ‘Cat has been sophomore Australian expat Chelsea Armstrong. The team looks ahead to another non-conference match-up against Kent State this Sunday, October 3rd at noon.
THUMBS DOWN
Men’s Basketball schedule leaves little room for error
Northwestern released the Men’s 2010-2011 Basketball schedule Wednesday, but save for match-ups against Georgia Tech and Creighton, and a potential game against Davidson in New York City, the weak non-conference schedule sets up a lose-lose situation for the ‘Cats. Should they falter at any point before Big Ten play begins, the team will have to make up for their losses with a killer’s instinct later. Northwestern can very well eclipse the 20-win mark for a second consecutive year, but their RPI and strength-of-schedule may not constitute enough of a resume to break into the fabled tourney. Even if they play through non-conference perfectly, they still have to overachieve in conference play to make a statement. Good luck, men.
THUMBS UP
Attendance at Ryan Field promising for the year
A matchup against a MAC team reeling from the loss of its star quarterback and head coach in the off season hardly qualifies as a sexy weekend event, but the attendance number of 30,075 in the stands for last Saturday’s game begs to differ. In the first game back for all students, the subsequent noise was so fervent that head coach Pat Fitzgerald admitted that it factored into a few miscues in communication on the field. Last year’s first game for the new freshmen was also the Big Ten opener against Minnesota. Attendance for that game? 22,091. Game, set, match.
THUMBS DOWN
Wrigley Game student tickets still available
Despite the media furor and marketing blitz lauding the football team’s recent success, specially discounted student tickets for the last home game of the season at Wrigley Field against long-time rival, the Illinois Fighting Illini, are still available. The bright side is that all other tickets have been sold out for a while, but this troubling development could mushroom into an embarrassing blemish for the school’s reputation if they are not gone by November 20th.