Jackets Edge up to Top 20 in Latest AVCA Poll

Northwestern Earns No. 15 Ranking in Week 8

The Northwestern volleyball team moved up two spots to No. 15 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Top 25 Coaches Poll, released on Monday, Oct. 10. The Wildcats are now 14-3 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten play.

With their win over rival Illinois this past weekend, Northwestern extended their winning streak to six matches. They are set to face off against No. 6 Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 14.

Northwestern is one of three Big Ten teams in the top 15, joining No. 1 Wisconsin and No. 10 Minnesota.

Key Stats

The Wildcats lead the Big Ten in several key stats, including kills per set (14.34), assists per set (13.33), and digs per set (17.7).

Senior outside hitter Temi Thomas-Ailara leads the Wildcats with 3.51 kills per set, while sophomore setter Alexa Hilgers has 11.20 assists per set.

Junior libero Megan Miller leads the Big Ten with 5.49 digs per set.

Upcoming Schedule

The Wildcats face a tough stretch of matches over the remainder of the season, with seven of their remaining 10 opponents ranked in the AVCA Top 25.

In addition to Ohio State, the Wildcats have yet to face No. 3 Purdue, No. 13 Penn State, and No. 21 Nebraska.

The Wildcats will be looking to finish the regular season strong and secure a high seed in the NCAA Tournament.