Nonconference Play Wraps Up at UNI Tournament

NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL: MATCH INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Friday, Sept. 16	North Dakota State	1:30 p.m.	McLeod Center (Cedar Falls, Iowa)	ESPN 3	Stat Broadcast
Friday, Sept. 16	Syracuse	7 p.m.	McLeod Center (Cedar Falls, Iowa)	ESPN 3	Stat Broadcast
Saturday, Sept. 17	Northern Iowa	Noon	McLeod Center (Cedar Falls, Iowa)	ESPN 3	Stat Broadcast
Social: Twitter (@NUVBall and @NU_SportsLive) \| Instagram (NUVBall) \| Facebook Match Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern heads to Cedar Falls, Iowa, this weekend for the UNI Tournament to finish off the nonconference portion of the 2016 season.

The Wildcats (5-4) will square off against North Dakota State (2-8) and Syracuse (1-6) on Friday before playing tournament host Northern Iowa (6-4) Saturday afternoon.

All matches will be streamed live online via ESPN3. Links can be found in the above table.

MILESTONE TRACKER
Taylor Tashima's moved into eighth-place all-time at Northwestern in assists against Ole Miss the last time out. She currently sits at 2,362 for her career and is just 104 away from seventh. At her current pace she could end up as high as fourth by the end of the season.

Kayla Morin enters her senior season as another all-around force for the Wildcats. She is the active leader on the team with 913 kills, 830 digs, and 185 blocks. If she continues her pace, she could crack the thousand mark for kills and digs this season. That would make her only the ninth player in program history to eclipse both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs.

WHERE THEY RANK
Northwestern ranks eighth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage (.258) and 10th in kills (12.8). The team is fifth in aces (1.4). Individually, Symone Abbott leads the conference with 4.48 kills per set. Sofia Lavin ranks eighth with 0.4 aces per set, and Taylor Tashima ranks 10th with 9.9 assists per set. New libero Katie Kniep is sixth with 4.1 digs per set.

TRIED AND TESTED
Chicago's Big Ten Team will face one of the most difficult schedules in the country in 2016. A year after playing the nation's hardest schedule, the Wildcats' slate again ranks up there among the hardest, currently coming in 28th nationally after three weeks. Northwestern's opponents have combined for a 137-75 (.646) record. Eight future conference opponents are in this week's Top-25, while two opponents are receiving votes.

The Wildcats face 17 teams who appeared in the 2015 NCAA tournament. They also have 13 matches against teams who were ranked and receiving votes at the end of last season. Northwestern will play six conference matches against the four teams predicted to finish at the top of the conference -- Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State.

Nonconference Play Wraps Up at UNI Tournament

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Symone Abbott

Katie Kniep

Sofia Lavin

Kayla Morin

Taylor Tashima

Northwestern University Athletics