Northwestern
St. Thomas
Wildcats Open Six-Game Homestand with Northwestern Invitational
9/17/2025 4:10:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern volleyball (9-1) is back at home to play two matches in Welsh-Ryan Arena this weekend, as they are set to host the Northwestern Invitational. The 'Cats will take on St. Thomas at 7 p.m. CT on Thursday, then face Campbell at 1 p.m. CT on Saturday. This weekend, which also features a neutral-site meeting between St. Thomas and Campbell on Friday, will mark the first ever match-ups between Northwestern and these two teams.
After a busy week of travel up the East Coast which resulted in four Northwestern victories, the Wildcats hope to bring some momentum back to Evanston for a stretch of home games. In their most recent contest against Rhode Island, Bella Bullington continued to impress for the 'Cats, recording six kills on .444 hitting. She also brought in a pair of double-digit kill performances against Buffalo (17) and Cornell (18), both of which were team highs.
Rylen Reid also continued her hot hitting on the road, racking up a team-high 11 kills against Rhode Island to bring her season total to a team-best 111. Lauren Carter and Sienna Noordermeer came up with 17 and 15 assists respectively against the Rams, marking the eighth time this year that both setters have reached double figures in the same match. Kathryn Randorf and Gabrielle Gerry both contributed four blocks in the victory.
As a team, the 'Cats have been lights-out from the service line all season. They'll enter play this weekend with 85 service aces, which ranks first in the Big Ten and third in the country. Ayah Elnady and Reid have led the way with 17 apiece, which puts them among the top 50 players in the NCAA.
First up for Northwestern this weekend is St. Thomas University. The Tommies are off to 6-3 start this season and are currently on a six-game winning streak. Their three most recent wins all came during the Byrant Invitational, in which they took down Army, Bryant, and Stony Brook. Their service game has also been impressive through non-conference play, and the Tommies currently rank 25th in the country with 2.06 aces per set.
On Saturday, the 'Cats will face off against Campbell University (7-2). Hailing from Buies Creek, N.C., the Fighting Camels are also on a six-game winning streak. They are coming off three wins in the Queens Invitational against UNC Asheville, Queens, and The Citadel.
This weekend marks the end of the non-conference schedule for Northwestern. Following these matches, the 'Cats will open Big Ten play next Wednesday, when they host Indiana on Big Ten Network. First serve between the Wildcats and the Hoosiers is set for 8 p.m. CT.
