Northwestern
3-0,0-0Big Ten
UC San Diego
1-2,0-0Big West
Wildcats Sweep Opening Weekend with 3-1 Victory over UC San Diego
8/31/2025 4:23:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
LA JOLLA, Calif. -- Northwestern volleyball improved to 3-0 on the season with a 3-1 victory over hosting UC San Diego on Sunday afternoon at LionTree Arena. The 'Cats won 25-21, 25-21, 22-25, 25-15 to close out a three-match sweep of the UC San Diego Invitational.
The Wildcat offense was paced by Rylen Reid, who hit .366 en route to a team-high 18 kills on the day. Ayah Elnady added 13 kills, while Bella Bullington chipped in with 11 as part of balanced Northwestern attack. The 'Cats got 12 digs from Drew Wright alongside eight blocks from Bella Simkus and seven rejections from Kayla Kauffman to lead them defensively.
How It Happened
SET 1 | After falling behind early in the set, the Wildcats bounced back with a 7-2 run to even the score up at seven apiece. Northwestern and UC San Diego battled down the stretch, but the 'Cats grabbed the advantage for good at 18-17, going on to take a 25-21 first-set victory. Northwestern supplemented their offense with three aces in the opening set and got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked four UCSD attacks.
SET 2 | After their win in the first set, Northwestern put themselves on the cusp with a 25-21 victory in set number two. The Wildcats were propelled by a strong showing on the attacking end, registering a .370 hitting percentage with 15 kills. Five of the 15 came from Rylen Reid, who led the attack, while Campbell Paris contributed four as well.
SET 3 | Northwestern couldn't end the match in a sweep, dropping set three to make their lead two sets to one in the match. The Wildcats came up short by the score of 25-22. UCSD grabbed the advantage for good at 21-20 in a set that was tied up five times before the Tritons took over in the second half of the stanza.
SET 4 | Northwestern then responded to finish off the match with a 25-15 fourth-set victory. The Wildcats took a 1-0 lead and never looked back, opening up as much as an 11-point lead before closing out the stanza. Ayah Elnady shut the door with six kills in the set, while the Northwestern defense racked up four blocks.
Game Notes
» Northwestern last started a season 3-0 in 2022, when the 'Cats went on to win their first seven matches.
» Northwestern had three players in double figures in kills for the second time this season.
» Ayah Elnady had a match-high four aces in the win, bringing her to a team-high 11 on the season.
» Bella Simkus had a match-high eight blocks - a new career high for the graduate student.
» Rylen Reid fell one shy of her career high with a team-high 18 kills for Northwestern. It was the sixth time in her career that she led her team in kills.
» Both Sienna Noordermeer and Lauren Carter finished with 21 digs. Northwestern has seen both setters reach double figures in all three matches so far this season.
Up Next
The 'Cats will continue non-conference play next weekend, when they're scheduled to face Baylor and Saint Mary's (CA) in Waco, Texas. Northwestern visits the Bears on Thursday, Sept. 4, then plays a neutral site contest against the Gaels the following day.
