Northwestern University Athletics
Thursday, October 16
Evanston, Ill.
8 p.m. CT
Northwestern
vs
Michigan
Photo by: Mary Grace Grabill/Northwestern Athletics
Volleyball Returns Home to Host Michigan and Illinois
10/15/2025 4:42:00 PM | Women's Volleyball
EVANSTON, Ill. - Returning to Evanston after an East Coast road trip this past weekend, Northwestern volleyball (12-6, 2-4 Big Ten) will continue conference play with two home matches against Michigan and Illinois. The 'Cats will face the Wolverines on Thursday night at 8 p.m. CT, then take on the Illini on Sunday at 2 p.m. CT. Thursday night's game will be televised on Big Ten Network, while Sunday's match will be streamed on B1G+.
The Wildcats came up with a 1-1 record in their most recent match-ups against Rutgers and No. 19 Penn State, sweeping the Scarlet Knights in a three-set victory while stealing a set from the top-20 Nittany Lions in a 3-1 loss. Ayah Elnady came up big, racking up a season-high 17 kills on .368 hitting against Rutgers, and following that performance up with 15 kills against Penn State. Bella Bullington had 11 kills against the Nittany Lions, marking the fourth time that the first-year has reached double figures in her six Big Ten matches.
Lauren Carter led the way on the defensive end, finishing with a team-high 11 digs to go along with 26 assists against the Scarlet Knights. In Northwestern's match-up against the Nittany Lions, Carter had a team-high nine digs, just one short of securing her fourth double-double of Big Ten play.
The 'Cats will first battle against Michigan in a prime time match-up on Thursday night. The Wolverines (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) are coming off their most recent five-set victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan also took down then-No. 10 Minnesota at home on October 1. The Wolverines will lean on Allison Jacobs, who is currently ranked third in the conference in total kills, with 246 this season. The Wildcats will also have to get through Serena Nyambio, who sits at eighth in the Big Ten in total blocks (69).
On Sunday afternoon, Northwestern will take on rival Illinois. The Illini (10-5, 5-1 Big Ten) are off to a hot start in conference play, with their only loss coming from then-No. 7 Wisconsin on October 2. Illinois was able to secure two Big Ten victories against Northwestern last season, but the 'Cats will look to change that this year. This meeting will mark the 100th match between these two teams, with Illinois holding the advantage with a 67-32 record.
The 'Cats will hit the road again following this weekend, traveling to Lincoln, Neb., and Bloomington, Ind., to face Nebraska and Indiana. The Friday meeting with Nebraska is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, while Sunday's meeting at Indiana will begin at noon CT. Both games will be streamed on B1G+.
The Wildcats came up with a 1-1 record in their most recent match-ups against Rutgers and No. 19 Penn State, sweeping the Scarlet Knights in a three-set victory while stealing a set from the top-20 Nittany Lions in a 3-1 loss. Ayah Elnady came up big, racking up a season-high 17 kills on .368 hitting against Rutgers, and following that performance up with 15 kills against Penn State. Bella Bullington had 11 kills against the Nittany Lions, marking the fourth time that the first-year has reached double figures in her six Big Ten matches.
Lauren Carter led the way on the defensive end, finishing with a team-high 11 digs to go along with 26 assists against the Scarlet Knights. In Northwestern's match-up against the Nittany Lions, Carter had a team-high nine digs, just one short of securing her fourth double-double of Big Ten play.
The 'Cats will first battle against Michigan in a prime time match-up on Thursday night. The Wolverines (12-5, 2-4 Big Ten) are coming off their most recent five-set victory against the Iowa Hawkeyes. Michigan also took down then-No. 10 Minnesota at home on October 1. The Wolverines will lean on Allison Jacobs, who is currently ranked third in the conference in total kills, with 246 this season. The Wildcats will also have to get through Serena Nyambio, who sits at eighth in the Big Ten in total blocks (69).
On Sunday afternoon, Northwestern will take on rival Illinois. The Illini (10-5, 5-1 Big Ten) are off to a hot start in conference play, with their only loss coming from then-No. 7 Wisconsin on October 2. Illinois was able to secure two Big Ten victories against Northwestern last season, but the 'Cats will look to change that this year. This meeting will mark the 100th match between these two teams, with Illinois holding the advantage with a 67-32 record.
The 'Cats will hit the road again following this weekend, traveling to Lincoln, Neb., and Bloomington, Ind., to face Nebraska and Indiana. The Friday meeting with Nebraska is scheduled for 6 p.m. CT, while Sunday's meeting at Indiana will begin at noon CT. Both games will be streamed on B1G+.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's VolleyballVolleyball - 'Cats Outlast Michigan in Five-Set Thriller (10/16/25)
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Sunday, September 21
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Wednesday, September 10
Volleyball - Tim Nollan, Sienna Noordemeer, and Ayah Elnady at Big Ten Media Days (7/28/25)
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