Northwestern’s early non-conference season is an absolute rollercoaster, with their trip to Starkville for the Big Ten-SEC Challenge showing us everything at once. They handed Alabama its first loss of the season but then got dispatched by Mississippi State, leaving everyone wondering what exactly this squad is made of. The stats don’t lie: their hitting percentage dipped nearly 100 points from one day to the next, a wild swing for any team this early.
Thursday Night Lights: ‘Cats Unleash Pure Fire
Things started slow against Alabama on Thursday, September 3. Northwestern dropped the first set 25-16, but after some tweaks, they turned it all the way around. Mara Štiglic started rotating with Bella Bullington in the back row, even playing the right pin, which is a look we haven’t really seen before. Campbell Paris got the start on the left, and Hayley Schaaf was put in to ramp up the offense. That switch worked to perfection, as the Wildcats dominated the next two sets before eking out a tight fourth to seal the victory. They were hitting an efficient .303 on the day, and it was pure excitement.
Nobody had answers for Štiglic, who put up a season-high 18 kills and threw in four service aces for good measure. Bullington was right there with 15 kills and three consecutive aces, part of the team’s total of 10 aces and eight blocks. Seriously, everything was working; it was an all-out barrage!
Friday’s Fiasco: The Wheels Fall Off
Just 24 hours later against Mississippi State, it was like watching a completely different team. All that Thursday efficiency vanished, with their hitting percentage dropping by nearly 100 points. The Bulldogs snatched momentum right from the jump, ripping off eight straight kills after Northwestern claimed the first point, forcing an an early timeout. But the hole was too deep; nine errors ended up being the undoing in a 25-18 first set loss.
Ironically, set two brought the best volleyball NU has played to date, a ridiculous .514 hitting percentage that powered them to a nine-point win. But Mississippi State turned it up again from there, combining for 28 kills across the latter sets, and that was that.
This weekend showed both sides of the coin for Northwestern (2-3) in the non-conference season. It’s clear that coach Tim Nollan believes in Lauren Dignan, who donned the libero jersey in both matches and is ready to take the wheel after learning in 2025. The Mara Štiglic (36 kills)-Bella Bullington (26 kills) partnership is settling in, with Bullington stepping into Rylen Reid’s old role and Štiglic learning the system. Maya Stillwell and Hayley Schaaf have locked down the number one and two middle blocker spots too, Stillwell on defense and Schaaf on offense, making it tough to take them out even when Gabrielle Gerry returns. It’s time to aim the microscope at the Newell-Grissom Building and piece all this together.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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