| Northwestern (15-12, 5-11 B1G) vs. Michigan State (14-13, 7-9 B1G) |
|
| Date | Time | November 19 | 7:00 p.m. |
| Location | Welsh-Ryan Arena | Evanston, Ill. |
| Live Stats | GameTracker |
| Watch Live | BTN Plus on BTN2GO |
| Social Media | @NUVball  | Northwestern Volleyball  | @nu_volleyball  |
| Notes (PDF) | Northwestern | Michigan State |
EVANSTON, Ill. -- With two weeks remaining in the regular season, the Northwestern Wildcats are back home in Evanston to begin a three-match homestand that opens Wednesday night, Nov. 19, when the Michigan State Spartans come calling at 7 p.m.
Heroics at Home
Nine of Northwestern's 15 total wins this season, and four of its five victories in conference play, have come at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats are hitting .237 as a team in Evanston, while limiting the opposition to a clip of .166. Freshman Symone Abbott has particularly benefitted from the home cooking. The outside hitter is averaging 3.60 kills per set in home matches and just 2.87 in true road contests. Abbott's career high in kills, 21, came at home in a victory over 18th-ranked Minnesota on Oct. 5.
Digging In
Libero Caroline Niedospial has been a strong anchor for Northwestern's back row this season. The Evergreen Park, Ill., native ranks first in the Big Ten with 5.06 digs per set in conference play and second overall with 4.85. On Oct. 24 against No. 13 Purdue, the libero notched a career-high 34 digs in a five-set match against the Boilermakers. She has posted double-digit digs in 25 of 27 matches this season and 21-or-more digs 11 times.
Tashima The Triple Threat
Freshman Taylor Tashima notched her second career triple-double last week on Nov. 12 when she tallied 12 kills, 17 assists and 15 digs in the Wildcats matchup at Minnesota. The Wilmette, Ill. native also set a career-high hitting percentage, .706, against the Golden Gophers which represents the fifth-best mark in the Big Ten this season (min. 12 kills). Tashima became the second Big Ten player to record a triple-double this year when she put up 10 kills, 23 assists and 11 digs against No. 9 Illinois on Nov. 5. The left-hander is tied for third in the Big Ten and leads all freshmen with 12 double-doubles.
Top-Ten Takedown
In defeating No. 9 Illinois on Nov. 5, the Wildcats slayed their first top-10 opponent since upsetting the second-ranked Nebraska Cornhuskers in four sets on Nov. 26, 2011. The night before playing in Evanston, the Huskers had claimed their first-ever Big Ten Championship. The Illini were the second nationally ranked team to fall to the `Cats this season. Northwestern beat No. 18 Minnesota in straight sets in Evanston on Oct. 5.
Wildcats Ink Three Newcomers
Northwestern head volleyball coach Keylor Chan and associate head coach and recruiting coordinator Kirstine Jensen announced the signing of three future Wildcats to National Letters of Intent last week. Ashley Bush (Union, Ky./Ryle), Rachael Fara (Naperville, Ill./Benet Academy) and Cassidy Nussman (Pearland, Texas/Pearland) will all join the 'Cats for the 2015 season.
Catch a Flick with the 'Cats
Following its match against Iowa on Nov. 22, the Wildcats will invite all fans to stick around to watch the Disney sensation Frozen on the high-definition video boards at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The movie will begin shortly after the conclusion of the clash against the Hawkeyes.
Looking Ahead
The middle contest of the three-match homestand will take place on Saturday, Nov. 22 against the Iowa Hawkeyes. NU's Symone Abbott posted two kills in the first meeting between the two squads on Oct. 18 in Iowa City, but it was not enough as the 'Cats lost the first of three consecutive five-set matches. Northwestern leads the all-time series, 40-27-1, and it has won seven of the last eight tilts while dropping only three sets over that span.
Be the first to know what's going on with the 'Cats -- Follow @NU_Sports on Twitter and Instagram, become a fan of Northwestern Athletics on Facebook and sign up to receive promotional text alerts for the latest news, schedule updates and video and to interact with NU. For more information on following specific Northwestern teams online, visit our Social Media page!