NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL: MATCH INFORMATION
DATE	OPPONENT	TIME	LOCATION	BROADCAST	AUDIO	LIVE STATS
Wednesday, Oct. 5	#24 Illinois	7 p.m. CT	Welsh-Ryan Arena (Evanston, Ill.)	BTN Plus	WNUR	Sidearm
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Match Notes

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern welcomes No. 24 Illinois to Welsh-Ryan Arena Wednesday night with first serve slated for 7 p.m.

Fans are encouraged to wear purple for a "Purple Out," and early arriving fans will receive a free "Beat Illinois" t-shirt.

Northwestern football players Austin Carr and Ian Park are singing the national anthem, and women's soccer record-breaking goalie Lauren Clem will deliver the match's first serve.

Free pizza will be available for all Northwestern students in attendance.

The match will be streamed live via BTN Plus. WNUR will have the call on the radio, and live stats will be made available. Links to everything can be found in the table above.

SYMONE SLAM
Junior outside hitter Symone Abbott has been an important offensive weapon for the Wildcats in 2016. She is averaging 4.19 kills per set, which ranks second in the Big Ten and 39th nationally. The program record is 3.83.

Abbott recorded her 1,000th career kill in the third set against Iowa on Oct. 1, becoming the 22nd player in Wildcats' history to reach the milestone. The program record is 1,797, set by Stephanie Holthus from 2010-13. She has registered 10 or more kills in all 16 matches of the 2016 season and has done so in 26 straight matches, dating back to Oct. 30 of last season.

She had 22 kills in a three-set match vs. George Washington to open the season, which is the 12th-most in the NCAA this year and second-most in program history for a three-setter. Abbott is hitting .228 for the season, and her .700 mark against Buffalo (14-for-20) is the eighth-best performance in the country for players with 20 or more attempts.

MILESTONE TRACKER
Taylor Tashima moved into seventh-place all-time at Northwestern in assists against Penn State on Sept. 25. She currently sits at 2,536 for her career and is just two away from passing Madelyn Shalter (2008-12) for sixth. At her current pace she could end up as high as fourth by the end of the season.

TRIED AND TESTED
Chicago's Big Ten Team will face one of the most difficult schedules in the country in 2016. A year after playing the nation's hardest schedule, the Wildcats' slate again ranks up there among the hardest, currently coming in 48th nationally after 16 matches. Northwestern's future opposition has combined for a 139-55 (.716) record. That is the fifth hardest future schedule in the country. Nine conference opponents are in this week's Top-25.

The Wildcats have faced or will face 17 teams who appeared in the 2015 NCAA tournament. They also have 13 matches against teams who were ranked and receiving votes at the end of last season. Northwestern will play six conference matches against the four teams predicted to finish at the top of the conference -- Nebraska, Minnesota, Wisconsin and Penn State.

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Northwestern Hosts No. 24 Illinois Wednesday Night

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Symone Abbott

Taylor Tashima

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern University Athletics

Northwestern Hosts No. 24 Illinois Wednesday Night

••••••

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Next Event

Players Mentioned

Symone Abbott

Taylor Tashima

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