Northwestern University Athletics
Wednesday, September 18
Evanston, Ill.
7 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Northern Illinois
Photo by: photo by John Konstantaras
'Cats Close Out Non-Conference Slate Against NIU
9/17/2024 4:40:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Northwestern volleyball (0-6) returns home to Welsh-Ryan Arena this Wednesday for the first of two matches against Northern Illinois (2-6), the second of which will be held in DeKalb on Friday. Wednesday's match in Evanston is set to begin at 7 p.m. on B1G+, while Friday's road match will start at 6 p.m. on ESPN+.
STORYLINES:
THE MATCH-UP:
Northwestern is 11-8-1 all-time against NIU, dating back to the programs' first meeting in 1977. That includes a 5-2 mark against the Huskies in Evanston. Of the programs' 20 total meetings, 18 were played between 1977 and 1987, and just one has occurred since the turn of the century. That last match between Northwestern and NIU took place in 2014, when the Wildcats swept the Huskies in DeKalb. Last time NIU made the trip to Evanston was 1995, and they were beaten by the 'Cats in straight sets.
Northern Illinois began its season with three straight tournaments. After losing both matches in their home Huskie Invitational, NIU picked up its first win of the season on Sept. 6 against Tarleton State. Most recently, the Huskies went 1-2 at the Art Carmichael Invitational in Kingston, R.I., defeating Stony Brook 3-1 after falling to both Rhode Island and Harvard earlier in the weekend.
UP NEXT:
These matches against NIU close out the non-conference portion of the schedule for Northwestern. Next up, they'll begin Big Ten play on the road at Maryland next Thursday, Sept. 26. First serve of that match is set for 6 p.m. CT.
STORYLINES:
- Rylen Reid collected a career-high 12 kills last time out, bringing her to 42 total on the season so far. Prior to this year, the junior had never logged more than 18 kills in a season, and now she's more than doubled that figure, just one-fourth of the way through the 2024 slate. In addition to the increase in her attack, Reid also reached a career mark in blocks against Long Beach State, when she put up four in the second of two matches at Walter Pyramid. Entering play tonight, Reid is third on the team in kills and in kills per set (1.83).
- Junior transfer Buse Hazan has wasted no time establishing herself in purple, leading the 'Cats with 76 total kills through their first three weeks of play. Hazan, who logged double-digit kill performances in 25 of 34 matches last season at South Florida, has tallied 10 or more kills in four of six matches so far this season. The run included her fifth career 20-kill game on Sept. 7 at Long Beach State, and she has led the team's offense in three of six matches to open the season. Her 11-dig performance against Pacific on Aug. 31 was also good for her first Wildcat double-double.
- Alexa Rousseau has collected a double-double in four of the team's first six matches this season (assists and digs). The fifth-year setter currently ranks sixth in program history in career assists, with 3,491, and stands 143 shy of fifth.
THE MATCH-UP:
Northwestern is 11-8-1 all-time against NIU, dating back to the programs' first meeting in 1977. That includes a 5-2 mark against the Huskies in Evanston. Of the programs' 20 total meetings, 18 were played between 1977 and 1987, and just one has occurred since the turn of the century. That last match between Northwestern and NIU took place in 2014, when the Wildcats swept the Huskies in DeKalb. Last time NIU made the trip to Evanston was 1995, and they were beaten by the 'Cats in straight sets.
Northern Illinois began its season with three straight tournaments. After losing both matches in their home Huskie Invitational, NIU picked up its first win of the season on Sept. 6 against Tarleton State. Most recently, the Huskies went 1-2 at the Art Carmichael Invitational in Kingston, R.I., defeating Stony Brook 3-1 after falling to both Rhode Island and Harvard earlier in the weekend.
UP NEXT:
These matches against NIU close out the non-conference portion of the schedule for Northwestern. Next up, they'll begin Big Ten play on the road at Maryland next Thursday, Sept. 26. First serve of that match is set for 6 p.m. CT.
Players Mentioned
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