‘Cats Open Homestand Against UIC, Yale This Week

EVANSTON, Ill. (September 12, 2023) – Coming off a weekend in which it did not drop a set across three matches, Northwestern (5-3) lifts the lid on a season-long five-match homestand inside Welsh-Ryan Arena this week as it closes out the non-conference portion of its schedule.
 
Local rival UIC will make the trip north from the West Side for a 7 p.m. tilt on Wednesday, September 13 ahead of a 6 p.m. clash with Yale on Friday, September 15.
 
LAST TIME OUT
Northwestern was dominant on both sides of the net on its East Coast swing this past weekend, as it dispatched Northern Colorado, Northeastern, and Fairfield by identical 3-0 scorelines.
 
The Wildcats hit .445 (135-17-265) across the three-match slate. In Saturday's win over Northeastern, a matchup that featured as part of the Northeastern Invitational, Northwestern operated at a red-hot .536 clip (50-5-84), a mark that ranks third all-time on the program's single-game record board.  The 'Cats followed up that effort by committing just four attack errors on Sunday versus Fairfield, a total that tied for the fewest in a match in program history.
 
For their efforts in wins over Northern Colorado and Northeastern, Leilani Dodson, Julia Sangiacomo and Kathryn Randorf were all named to the Northeastern Invitational All-Tournament Team, with Dodson taking home Most Valuable Player accolades after hitting .692 (18-0-26) while averaging 3.0 kills per set and 1.0 blocks per set.
 
B1G HONOR FOR STINSON
Ellee Stinson was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday afternoon, earning the first weekly league honor of her career.  The 5-foot-2 libero/defensive specialist averaged 4.23 digs per set across four matches, while also adding eight assists (0.62 a/s) and seven service aces (0.54 sa/s).  Entering the final week of non-conference play, Stinson currently ranks third on the Big Ten Conference's digs leaderboard, tallying 4.50 digs per set.
 
SCOUTING UIC
Picked third in its second season in the Missouri Valley Conference, UIC owns a 7-3 record on the year.  The Flames went 2-1 last weekend at the Dayton Invitational, bookending a 3-2 defeat to the host Flyers with 3-1 wins over Wright State and Ball State.
 
Head coach Justin Ingram's attack is let by the pairing of Ayat Amin (3.55 k/s) and Preseason All-MVC honoree Martina Delucchi (3.37 k/s).  Sohila Wafeek, also a Preseason All-MVC pick, averages 4.55 assists/set.
 
SCOUTING YALE
Winners of four of the last five Ivy League titles, Yale, the preseason league favorite, rolls into Evanston on a four-match win streak.  The Bulldogs, who reside at 4-2 overall, went a perfect 3-0 in the Yale Invitational over the weekend, notching four-set victories over Sacred Heart and UConn, while sweeping Rhode Island.
 
Now in her 20^th season as head coach, Erin Appleman returns five All-Ivy league picks from a season ago.  Mila Yarich, a Second Team selection, has highlighted that quintet in the season's early weeks, averaging a team-best 2.88 kills per set.  First Team All-Ivy League honoree Carly Diehl hands out 9.13 assists per set, while Fatima Samb has provided a lift on the defensive side, leading the Bulldogs with 1.12 blocks per set.
 
SERIES STUFF
Northwestern and UIC will meet for the 35th time on Wednesday, a series in which the 'Cats lead, 30-4 (.882).  The Wildcats have been victorious in each of the last 15 matchups, including a 3-0 triumph last season on the West Side.
 
Friday's non-conference finale marks just the second meeting between Northwestern and Yale in volleyball, with the only other encounter coming back on September 8, 2012 in New Haven, Conn., a 3-1 Wildcat victory.
 
UP NEXT
Northwestern's homestand rolls on next weekend as the Wildcats raise the curtain on Big Ten Conference play with matchups against a pair of top-15 foes in No. 1 Wisconsin (September 22) and No. 13 Penn State (September 24).