Analyzing Northwestern volleyball’s Big Ten schedule

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EVANSTON, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER 28: The Northwestern Wildcats women's volleyball team celebrate a point against the Oregon Ducks at Welsh-Ryan Arena on September 28, 2025 in Evanston, Illinois. (Photo by Michael Gomez/Getty Images) | Getty Images

After finishing last season with a 17-15 overall record and 7-13 Big Ten record, Northwestern looks poised to take yet another major step forward. Several key pieces of last year’s roster graduated, mainly Ayah Elnady and Rylen Reid, but the ‘Cats return several exciting young players like Bella Bullington and Lauren Dignan, while adding potential impact players like Utah State transfer Mara Štiglic.

There will be plenty of new faces, but the Northwestern identity and culture should remain intact and enable winning.

Late September: vs. USC, vs. UCLA​

Northwestern will open its Big Ten schedule by hosting two of the West Coast teams.

First up is USC, which finished last season with an overall record of 25-7 and a Big Ten record of 15-5. The Trojans ousted the ‘Cats in four sets last year, winning three straight after NU won the opening set. Bullington led the way for Northwestern with a team-high 13 kills while Kayla Kauffman contributed six blocks. Bad news for the ‘Cats is outside hitter London Wijay returns for USC after having a 400-kill season, including 22 in the win over Northwestern. However, the Trojans do the loss of setter Reese Messer, who made the All-Big Ten First Team alongside Wijay. She takes her talents to Kansas this upcoming season.

Two days later, UCLA will walk into Welsh-Ryan Arena as another extremely talented California team. The Bruins went 19-13 last season with a 12-8 Big Ten record. Last year’s Bruin and Wildcat matchup was as close as a game can get, as the ‘Cats fell 18-16 in the fifth set. Drew Wright had 17 digs in the game for the ‘Cats, but ultimately their 27 errors cost them. With the graduation of their best hitter in, Cheridyn Leverette, the Bruins will be looking for a new identity early this season, so the Wildcats have a golden opportunity to pounce.

Early October: @ Minnesota, vs. Ohio State, @ Penn State, @ Maryland, vs. Nebraska​

October doesn’t get any easier for Northwestern, as it plays three of last season’s top-seven Big Ten teams in the first 15 days of the month.

Minnesota went 24-10 last year with a 12-8 Big Ten record. The Gophers took down the ‘Cats in four sets, hitting .290 and totaling 11 blocks. Minnesota loses its best hitter, Julia Hanson, who led the team with 470 kills last season, but Kelly Kinney should fill the gap on the outside as she had 254 kills herself.

Ohio State had an abominable year last year and is Northwestern’s first game in which it should be heavy favorites. The Buckeyes went 6-22 overall and 3-17 in the Big Ten. The ‘Cats won the matchup last season behind 14 Bullington kills and seven Kauffman blocks. The Buckeyes return their top hitter and setter this season, so they should be improved, but if Northwestern wants to finish in the top half of the Big Ten, a home game against Ohio State is one it needs to win.

It’s quickly back to difficult challenges for the ‘Cats with a road matchup against Penn State. The Nittany Lions went 19-13 last season and beat Northwestern in four sets. Opposite hitter Kennedy Martin had 24 of her 634 kills on the year against NU, shredding the Wildcat block time and time again. Penn State lost its All-Big Ten First Team libero Gillian Grimes, but still projects as one of the top teams in the conference this season.

Staying in the northeast, Northwestern’s second game in which it will be heavily favored comes at Maryland. The Terrapins went 1-19 in the Big Ten last year and 8-22 overall. Northwestern won last season’s matchup in four sets behind a combined nine aces from five different players. Maryland’s best hitter last season in Ajack Malual graduated, so it might be in for another tough go.

Oct. 15 is the date to remember if you want to see the best team in the conference play in Evanston. Nebraska went 33-1 last season and 20-0 in the Big Ten. It had four members of the All-Big Ten First Team, three of whom return for this season. The one star who graduated was the Big Ten Player and Setter of the Year, Bergen Reilly, but the Cornhuskers have more than enough talent to reload. Nebraska blew out Northwestern in three dominant sets last season, and there’s not much hope for a different result this season as the Cornhuskers will be on a revenge tour after losing in the national semifinals.

Late October: vs. Michigan State, vs. Michigan, @ Purdue, @ Illinois, vs. Rutgers​

The back half of October gets a little easier for the ‘Cats.

Michigan State and Michigan went 22-11 and 18-12, respectively, last season, and the games should be highly competitive. Northwestern lost to the Spartans in four sets last year, but knocked off the Wolverines in five, coming back from being behind two sets to one behind a career performance from Buse Hazan. Expect Michigan to regress somewhat this season after losing its two best players, Allison Jacobs and Maddi Cuchran, but Michigan State should finish near the top of the conference as it returns the majority of its talent. Northwestern’s mindset when hosting the Michigan teams should be to take one of the two.

A road game against Purdue poses a tough test after the Boilermakers went 27-7 overall and 15-5 in the Big Ten last season. Purdue knocked off NU in four sets last year after it hit a remarkable .358 for 69 kills. The Boilermakers return their All-Big Ten First Team setter, opposite hitter and outside hitter, and could be the team to give Nebraska the most trouble in conference play.

Illinois and Rutgers wrap up the strenuous month and represent two winnable games for Northwestern. The Fighting Illini went 13-16 with an 8-12 conference record last season while the Scarlet Knights went 12-20 with a 3-17 conference record. The ‘Cats swept Rutgers in three sets last season but got swept by their in-state rivals in three uber-competitive sets. Illinois had seven aces against Northwestern and hit a substantially better percentage. While Rutgers lost some key pieces from last year’s roster, Illinois returns its best outside hitter and should be an improved team looking for its sixth straight win over NU.

Early November: @ Washington, @ Oregon, Iowa, @ Indiana, @ Wisconsin​

If NU can win its last two games in October, it could gain serious momentum to end the year with three easier matchups to start November.

Washington went 13-17 last season, knocking off Northwestern in five sets in its 2025 meeting with the ’Cats, who had 24 errors and hit .195 in the matchup. Nonetheless, the Huskies deserve credit for their relentless attack and scrappy defense. Washington returns its All-Big Ten First Team outside hitter, so it should be improved this season, but lacks overall depth and defense.

Oregon went 17-13 and 8-12 in the Big Ten last season and lost to the ‘Cats in five sets after NU sneaked by in the fifth to avoid the dreaded reverse sweep. Northwestern’s hitting percentage hovered around .35o and was just enough to beat the Ducks, despite a career-high 28 kills from Oregon’s All-Big Ten First Team outside hitter Valentina Vaulet. Vaulet returns for this season alongside fellow All-Big Ten First Team member Alanah Clemente, who had 412 kills in her first collegiate season.

Iowa finished the year with a 15-17 overall record and 6-14 Big Ten record. In another 2025 thriller, the ‘Cats defeated the Hawkeyes in five sets, again needing the fifth to again stave off the reverse sweep. Reid had 27 kills and three aces against Iowa, but her graduation means she will not return to crush the Hawkeyes again. Iowa lost its best player and setter, Claire Ammeraal, who had 1,190 assists last season.

Road games against Indiana and Wisconsin are a difficult way for the Wildcats to end the year, as the two went 25-8 and 28-5 last season, respectively. Both Big Ten title contenders knocked off the ‘Cats in four sets last year, and Wisconsin made a run all the way to the national semi-finals. However, Indiana and Wisconsin both lost two All-Big Ten First Team hitters, so they might struggle to generate consistent offense as they look to fill the gaps.

If Northwestern wins just a couple of its toss-up games, then it should find itself dancing into the postseason in late November. The inaugural Big Ten Tournament, which will be held in Indiana starting on Nov. 20, will consist of the top-15 conference finishers. The ‘Cats took a major step forward last season, so let’s see if Bullington and company can continue the ascension.

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