Northwestern University Athletics
Northwestern
Michigan
#B1GCats Set for Road Swing Against Michigan, #8 Michigan State
11/8/2017 3:53:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
| NORTHWESTERN VOLLEYBALL: MATCH DAY INFORMATION | ||||||
| DATE | OPPONENT | TIME | LOCATION | BROADCAST | LIVE STATS | |
| Friday, Nov. 10 |
Michigan | 6 p.m. CT | Cliff Keen Arena Ann Arbor, Mich. |
TBD | Stats | |
| Saturday, Nov. 11 |
No. 8 Michigan State | 5:30 p.m. CT | Jenison Field House East Lansing, Mich. |
BTN2Go | GameTracker | |
| Social: Twitter (@NUVBall and @NU_SportsLive) | Instagram (@NUVBall) | Facebook Northwestern Match Notes |
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EVANSTON, Ill. — Northwestern volleyball heads to Michigan and No. 8 Michigan State to continue the latter half of its conference slate. The Wildcats will play the Spartans for the second time in their last three games, meeting with MSU on Nov. 4.
PRIOR RETURNS
Northwestern has logged a 13-13 record through 26 competitions in its 2017 campaign ... NU has surpassed their win output from last season ... The 'Cats posted a nine-match winning streak from Aug. 26 to Sept. 16.
THREE SET MAGIC
The Wildcats hit .440 as a team in their three-set sweep of Rutgers (10/25), led by first-year Nia Robinson's 24 kills ... That was tied for the most kills in a three-set match in program history, also Stephanie Holthus (Miami (OH), 9/20/2013) ... The mark was also the most by any Big Ten player in a three-set contest this year ... Next closest was a pair of 19-kill performances by Annika Albrecht and Claire Sheehan.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN
The Wolverines own a 16-10 record, with a 6-8 mark in-conference. Michigan's team average of 13.80 kills per set is ranked seventh in the Big Ten.
The Wolverines are led by junior Carly Skjodt, whose 10.36 attacks per set clip is second in the Big Ten only to Symone Abbott. Additionally, her .359 kills per set is sixth in the conference.
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State currently has a 17-6 record and is fourth in the conference. In their most recent matchup against Northwestern on Saturday, November 4, the Spartans won in straight sets. Michigan State's team average of 14.27 kills per set is the fourth highest in the Big Ten.
The team leads the conference in service aces per set, with an average of 1.66. Holly Toliver, Rachel Minarick, and Brooke Kranda have the second, fourth, and fifth highest individual service aces per set averages in the conference, respectively. Autumn Bailey leads the team in kills and digs, with 245 and 252, respectively, to date.
HIT ME WITH YOUR BEST SHOT
The 'Cats have been very efficient on firing away with their attacks, as their .247 team hitting percentage is 53rd best in the nation ... If you needed any reminder of how dominant the Big Ten is for volleyball, that mark is also 10th-best in the conference.
CHART TOPPERS
Symone Abbott leads the Big Ten and is 24th in the nation with an average of 4.27 kills per set while Nia Robinson is ranked seventh with an average of 3.55 kills per set. Abbott is third in the Big Ten with 337 kills on the year, while Robinson is second among all conference first years with 309 total kills. Abbott's 4.27 kills per set would be tied for the third-highest in program history if the season ended today.
SHE'S HAZEN A GREAT SEASON
Gabrielle Hazen has .317 hitting percentage in 363 attempts ... If she can maintain that clip, she will finish the program's eighth-highest percentage in a single season (min. 400 attempts). Hazen also is eigth in the Big Ten with an average of 1.11 blocks per set. Her 2.00 kills per set is the senior's second highest average in her four years at Northwestern, after finishing the 2015 season with a percentage of 2.09.
DYNAMIC DUO
In the Wildcats' match against Maryland on Oct. 13, Nia Robinson and Symone Abbott became the first NU duo to notch 20+ kills since Stephanie Holthus and Katie Dutchman in 2013.
Abbott's career-high 29 kills vs. Maryland are tied for the fifth most in NU history in an individual match and are also tied for the most an NU player has recorded this season (last since Abbott vs. Indiana on Oct. 6). Robinson's 25 kills are the third most an NU player has recorded this season.
AT THE PACE SHE'S ON...
Senior Taylor Tashima is ranked 30th in the country and fifth in the Big Ten with 10.99 assists per set ... That rate is the best of Tashima's career ... In addition, Tashima's 934 total assists are in the top-80 in the nation and is the seventh in the Big Ten.
AN EYE ON THE RECORD BOOK
Symone Abbott (kills-4th, kills per set-2nd) and Taylor Tashima (assists-4th, assists per set-4th) both are poised to etch their names into Northwestern history with productive senior seasons.
Gabrielle Hazen is now in seventh place in career hitting-percentage, having just crossed the 1,000 TAs mark for qualification. Abbott needs 66 kills to move into sole possession of third place (Erika Lange, 1,618), while Tashima has moved into fourth place in NU history in assists.
THE ROAD TO 4,000
On Saturday's matchup against Michigan State, Taylor Tashima recorded her 4,000th career assist ... This makes her one of only 46 players in Big Ten history and the fourth player in NU history to do so.
AT YOUR SERVICE (ACE)
The Wildcats have been strong at their service game this season, as their 1.61 aces per set mark is the second best in the conference and is the 21st best in the nation ... Two NU players (Taylor Tashima and Sarah Johnson) are currently ranked in the top-10 of the conference for aces per set.
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