Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Penn State
'Cats Set for back to back Big Ten Matches in Welsh-Ryan Opener
11/7/2018 9:57:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
|
2018 NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL |
||||||
|
DATE |
OPPONENT |
TIME (CT) |
LOCATION |
WATCH |
LISTEN |
LIVE STATS |
|
Friday, |
Penn State |
7 p.m. |
Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena) |
|||
|
Saturday, |
Rutgers |
7 p.m. |
Evanston, Ill. (Welsh-Ryan Arena) |
|||
|
Social: Twitter (@NUVBall and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@NUVBall) | Facebook |
||||||
EVANSTON, Ill. — Coming off of a two-match road trip, the Wildcats are gearing up for their home opener at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena with two back to back Big Ten matches. The 'Cats will host #7 Penn State on Friday, Nov. 9 at 7 p.m. and Rutgers on Saturday, Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.
News and notes...
NICE PLAYING!: Northwestern volleyball is in the midst of its 43rd season of intercollegiate competition ... The 'Cats have won three of their last four matches and will be taking on #17 Penn State on Nov. 9 and Rutgers on Nov. 10 as they being play in the new Welsh-Ryan Arena.
WHO? WHAT!: Northwestern is 5-0 against Rutgers all-time ... This will be the first and only meeting between Northwestern and Rutgers this season ... The 'Cats are 9-52 all-time against #17 Penn State and are scheduled to face off again on Nov. 17 at Penn State.
BUMP, SET, SPIKE: Sophomore Nia Robinson has been one of the Big Ten's most prolific scorers, as her 3.56 kills per set mark is eighth in the conference, trailing Jacqueline Quade (ILL), Erika Pritchard (MD), Carly Skjodt (UM), Dana Rettke (WISC), Cali Hoye (IOWA), Mikaela Forecke (NEB) and Sherridan Atkinson (PUR).
BIG THANK YOU TO BEARDSLEY: On Sunday Oct. 28, the Wildcats played their final home match at historic Beardsley Gym ... NU played at Evanston Township High School's home gym for the 2017 season, in addition to the first six home matches of the 2018 year.WELCOME HOME: Northwestern will play its last four home matches at the new Welsh-Ryan Arena, starting with tonight's debut against #17 Penn State. The Arena has undergone $110 million in renovations in order to deliver a world-class experience for student-athletes and fans alike.
WHAT IS A 'YOUT?': The Northwestern squad is comprised of six first years, seven sophomores, four juniors, and no seniors.
That means that 13 out of 17 players on the team are underclassmen (76 percent). In the Big Ten, only Michigan State (12-of-15 players) surpasses Northwestern's clip — but the raw number of 13 are the most underclassmen on any single Big Ten roster.
TEAM TRIVIA: Northwestern has allowed the third-fewest digs per set by opponents (13.26) in Big Ten play.
DOING NUMBERS: Britt Bommer notched a career-high 69 assists against Iowa (Oct. 24), the most in a single match by any player in the nation this season ... Her output is the eighth-most in NU history and the most since Liz Renius posted 77 on Nov. 28, 1997.
RANKING RUMBLINGS: According to PrepVolleyball.com, Northwestern's Class of 2022 is the 18th-best recruiting class in the nation.
IS 300 WINS A LOT? IT SEEMS LIKE A LOT: With a 3-0 sweep over Michigan State, NU head coach Shane Davis, amassed his 300th career win, between both Loyola and Northwestern.
CAN YOU DIG IT?: Local product Michelle Lee (Naperville, Ill.) owns a 3.36 digs per set clip, good for third-best in the Big Ten among rookies.
YEAH, THAT'S A BIG NUMBER: Sophomore Alana Walker posted a hitting percentage of .900 in NU's win over Colgate on Aug. 31 ... She had nine kills on 10 swings with no errors ... The output was the second-best in Wildcat history, trailing only Kim Ludwig's .917 clip against Milwaukee on Sept. 17, 1994.
DOUBLE YOUR LUCK: Five different players have posted 10 double-doubles, led by Kiara McNulty's four, most recently against Stephen F. Austin (Sept. 1).
PUNCTUATED EQUILIBRIUM: This is the third season under head coach Shane Davis, a two-time national champion head coach while helming the men's volleyball team at Loyola-Chicago. His .750 winning percentage with the Ramblers is the sixth-best in NCAA men's volleyball history among coaches with five or more seasons.
Davis brought with him the leadership of associate head coach Erin Virtue and assistant coach Kevin Moore — both of whom are also in their third seasons in their role.
ROAD WARRIORS: The Wildcats played their first 14 matches on the road until NU's contest against Nebraska at historic Beardsley Gym.
••••••Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook, check us out on Instagram, visit our Social Media page and download our mobile app from the Apple Store and Google Play! To get involved with the #B1GCats, become a season-ticket holder or join the Wildcat Fund!
