Wednesday, September 30
Minneapolis, Minn.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
at
Minnesota
Northwestern Puts Five-Match Win Streak on the Line at #16 Minnesota
9/29/2015 12:06:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
| NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL: MATCH INFORMATION | |||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS |
| Wednesday, Sept. 30 | #16 Minnesota | 7 p.m. | Sports Pavilion (Minneapolis, Minn.) | BTN Plus | Gametracker |
| Social: Twitter (@NUVBall and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (NUVBall) | Facebook Wildcats Weekly Release | |||||
EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern (10-3, 2-0) is off to a good start in 2015 with consecutive sweeps to start Big Ten play, and the Wildcats will put their five-match win streak to the test Wednesday night at No. 16 Minnesota.
The Golden Gophers (9-3, 1-1) will be the first ranked team Northwestern has faced this season and the first of 16 conference matchups versus ranked opponents based on the Sept. 28 AVCA national poll. The teams split the season series in 2014 with each winning at home.
The match begins at 7 p.m. and will be available to stream via BTN Plus.
Northwestern and Minnesota both play strong defense with opponents hitting well below their season averages. The Wildcats rank eighth in the Big Ten with a .171 mark against, while the Gophers allow opponents to hit just .164. Minnesota uses a strong net presence, averaging 2.84 blocks per set, to stifle opponents.
Several members of Chicago's Big Ten Team find themselves at or near the top of several conference statistical categories. Caroline Niedospial leads all Big Ten players with 5.00 digs per set. Abbie Kraus ranks second in aces with 19, while Taylor Tashima is fourth in assists per set with 11.33.
The reigning Big Ten Player of the Week, Maddie Slater, has steadily climbed the ranks in hitting percentage and now sits third with a .412 mark. Slater was recognized by the conference after combining to hit .538 in sweeps over Rutgers and Maryland last weekend. She has hit over .300 in seven straight matches.
Northwestern continues to see its matches end in just three sets. 10 of the Wildcats' 13 matches have gone only three games this year. Northwestern is 7-3 in those contests, including a pair of conference sweeps last weekend. The 'Cats have won all three of the matches to go longer than three sets.
Big Ten play continues Sunday for the Wildcats with a trip to No. 19 Wisconsin on tap. That match begins at 1 p.m. in the UW Fieldhouse.
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Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Volleyball
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