Northwestern Takes on Purdue, Indiana this Weekend

10/22/2015 1:39:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

By: Carsten Parmenter

NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL: MATCH INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	LIVE STATS
Friday, October 23	#19 Purdue	6 p.m.	Holloway Gym (West Lafayette, Ind.)	BTN Plus	Gametracker
Saturday, October 24	Indiana	6 p.m.	University Gym (Bloomington, Ind.)	N/A	Sidearm
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EVANSTON, Ill. – Fresh off a four-match homestand that culminated in a 3-1 win over Iowa, the Northwestern volleyball team will look to make it three victories in a row with a pair of road matches this weekend. The Wildcats travel to West Lafayette, Ind., to face No. 19 Purdue on Friday night at 6 p.m. and then head south to Bloomington, Ind., to face Indiana on Saturday night in a match also scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Friday's match marks the team's first road contest since Oct. 4, when Northwestern faced 19th-ranked Wisconsin. Chicago's Big Ten Team will have a chance to bring its road record above .500 and will look to continue to build on a 4-4 start to Big Ten play.

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 .681. The next closest is UCLA, whose opponents' average is .670. 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 seventh-toughest. The Wildcats' remaining opponents have combined for a .686 winning percentage.

Moving Up in RPI
Chicago's Big Ten Team is ranked in the top-25 of the latest RPI list released by the NCAA on Monday. Northwestern came in 20th this week after splitting a weekend series with No. 3 Nebraska and Iowa. The Wildcats were 21st last week and cracked the top-25 after beating No. 3 Penn State on Oct. 10.

Double-Trouble
Northwestern sophomore setter Taylor Tashima has recorded six double-doubles already in the 2015 season. Each time she has reached double digits in assists and digs. She notched three in a row at the Holiday Inn University Plaza Invitational from Sept. 11-12 and tallied her second consecutive double-double in the Wildcats' last match at Minnesota. Tashima produced another to help lead Northwestern over No. 3 Penn State. Outside hitter Kayla Morin picked up her second of the season in that match as well with 15 kills and 14 digs. Symone Abbott also tallied a double-double in the second match of the season vs. New Hampshire with 10 kills and 10 digs.

Scouting Purdue
Purdue will put its undefeated home record on the line against Northwestern on Friday while also looking to break a two-match losing streak. The Boilermakers, ranked 19th in the AVCA Coaches Poll, are 15-4 on the season and sit fifth in the Big Ten with a 6-2 conference record.

Purdue leads the Big Ten in hitting percentage thanks in large part to middle blockers Faye Adelaja and Danielle Cuttino, who rank second and third, respectively, in that category.

Scouting Indiana
Indiana returns home this weekend after getting swept on a three-match road trip. The Hoosiers are 11th in the Big Ten at 2-6 in the conference and 12-8 overall, and their offense has struggled to a .159 hitting percentage, better only than Rutgers in the Big Ten.

Indiana's defense has been marginally better, with an opponent hitting percentage of .266. Defensive specialist Courtney Harnish is 10th in the conference with 3.5 digs per set.

The Hoosiers will face Illinois on Friday, also at home, before hosting the 'Cats on Saturday night.