Northwestern Wraps Up Four-Match Homestand with #3 Nebraska, Iowa

10/15/2015 4:33:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: Carsten Parmenter

NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL: MATCH INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Friday, October 16	#3 Nebraska	7 p.m.	Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)	BTN Plus	Sidearm
Sunday, October 18	Iowa	1 p.m.	Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)	BTN Plus	Sidearm
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EVANSTON, Ill. – Less than a week after knocking off No. 3 Penn State in five sets, Northwestern volleyball will again face the third-ranked team in the country. On Friday, the Wildcats host Nebraska in a match that starts at 7 p.m. and will then finish up their four-match homestand with a 1 p.m. contest against Iowa on Sunday.

Both matches will be streamed live on BTN Plus.

Northwestern will celebrate Alumni Night during Friday's match, and the volleyball team will host a Kids' Clinic after Sunday's match for young players in attendance.

National Recognition
The Wildcats received votes in the latest AVCA poll, released Monday, Oct. 12 after their 3-2 win over No. 3 Penn State on Saturday night. Northwestern appeared in the poll for the first time this season and for the first time since being ranked 24th in October of last season.

Nation's Most Tested
Northwestern has the toughest schedule in the nation based off of opponents' won-loss record. The Wildcats opponents, past and future, in 2015 have compiled a cumulative winning percentage of .690. The next closest is UCLA, whose opponents' average is .674. Northwestern's non-conference and early Big Ten slate is rated the fourth-hardest in the country, while its future schedule in conference play is rated the second-toughest. The Wildcats' remaining opponents have combined for a .719 winning percentage.

An Efficient Attack
Northwestern features two of the Big Ten's most efficient hitters: sophomore middle blocker Gabrielle Hazen, who leads the conference with a .500 hitting percentage, and Maddie Slater, whose .406 rate ranks fourth in the Big Ten. Freshman middle blocker Rachael Fara is not far behind with a .339 hitting percentage, putting her 13th in the conference.

Scouting Nebraska
Coming off back-to-back home wins against Michigan and Michigan State, the Cornhuskers are 14-2 overall and 5-1 in the Big Ten this year, putting them third in the conference. Setter Kelly Hunter ranks third in the Big Ten in assists per set, and libero Justine Wong-Orantes is third in digs, trailing Northwestern's Caroline Niedospial, who leads the conference.d

Scouting Iowa
In the midst of a six-match losing streak to open up Big Ten play, the Hawkeyes will travel to Illinois before coming to Welsh-Ryan Arena to face the Wildcats. The losing skid has dropped Iowa to 10-9 overall on the season, and the Hawkeyes are still in search of their first conference win.