Northwestern
New Mexico State
Volleyball Opens Season with Trio of Matches at UC San Diego Invitational
8/28/2025 4:51:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
LA JOLLA, Calif. - Northwestern volleyball is poised to begin its 2025 season this weekend as the 'Cats take on a trio of opponents at the UC San Diego Invitational in La Jolla, California. Northwestern will face off with New Mexico State on Friday at 5 p.m. CT, followed by Eastern Washington at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday, then close the weekend with a matchup against hosts UC San Diego on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT.
Head coach Tim Nollan begins his second season at the helm of the program in 2025, piloting a squad of nine returning players and nine newcomers. Alongside three first-years, Nollan welcomed five transfers this offseason, including four players who reached NCAA Tournaments with their previous teams.
Headlining the group is Ayah Elnady, a three-time All-Big 12 honoree who joins the Wildcats after four seasons at Kansas. In 2024, Elnady led the Jayhawks in kills (354), aces (37) and points-per-set (3.79), eventually leading Kansas to its fourth-straight NCAA Tournament berth. The effort earned her First Team All-Big 12 selection for the second season in a row.
Also new to the 'Cats this season are middle blockers Bella Simkus (Colorado) and Beste Ayhan (Bradley), as well as outside hitter Campbell Paris and middle blocker Gabrielle Gerry, who both joined the program after two seasons at South Carolina.
Along with the additions, Northwestern returns its two leading scorers from 2024 in Buse Hazan and Rylen Reid. Hazan led the roster with 283 kills last year, pacing the Wildcat offense in 15 of 28 matches and averaging a team-high 3.01 kills-per-set, which ranked among the top 20 in the Big Ten. Reid racked up 200 kills in 100 sets of action in 2024, setting single-season career highs in nearly every stat category.
First up for the 2025 Wildcats this weekend, New Mexico State finished third in Conference USA (C-USA) last season after going 19-14 overall and 11-7 in conference play. Friday's matchup will be the second game of a doubleheader for the Aggies, who face Eastern Washington earlier in the day.
The 'Cats themselves will then meet Eastern Washington on Saturday afternoon. The Eagles are coming off a 12-15 season in 2024 that saw them finish fifth in the conference with an 8-8 record against Big Sky opponents. Saturday's meeting will be the final of three matches for Eastern Washington in San Diego.
Northwestern will close its own weekend with a match against tournament hosts UC San Diego. The Tritons finished 2024 with a 17-13 record and an 11-7 conference mark that placed them fifth in the Big West. Sunday afternoon's action will be streamed on ESPN+.
Following their trip to San Diego, the 'Cats will continue their non-conference slate next weekend in Waco, Texas, where they will face Baylor and Saint Mary's (CA) in a pair of matches on Thursday, September 4, and Friday, September 5, respectively.
