Husker Volleyball Visits Unranked Northwestern on Thursday Night

Husker volleyball had one of their best weekends of the season this last week getting wins over two ranked opponents. They visited Indiana on Thursday and swept them in front of a packed house. They returned home to play Wisconsin on Saturday for blackout night and also got a sweep against a young team looking to get a big win.

The Huskers cleaned up in the weekly awards after the big week they had too. Starting with Harper Murray, who won Co-Player of the Week with Alanah Clemente of Oregon. Murray averaged 5.17 kills/set, hitting .429% in the two matches. She is currently leading the B1G in kills per set and points per set.

Sophomore MB Manaia Ogbechie was named Defensive Player of the Week. Ogbechie leads the B1G with 2.17 blocks/set. This is also good enough for 8th in the country. She totaled 13 blocks in the matches against Indiana and Wisconsin.

Senior Setter Bergen Reilly was the last Husker to earn a weekly award. She was named Setter of the Week after helping lead the Nebraska offense to a .388% combined hitting percentage. She averaged 12.33 assists/set and 2.17 digs/set. She was setter of the week August 31st as well.

Northwestern Wildcats
2025 Record: 17-15
2025 Conference Record: 7-13 (B1G)
Last NCAA Tournament Appearance: 2010 (Lost to Missouri in 2nd Round)

Northwestern, along with Rutgers and Maryland, is a team that has been struggling in the B1G for years now. Their last winning season came in 2022, but only barely with a record of 18-14. This still wasn’t good enough to make the NCAA tournament though.

Their last successful season, that ended with a tournament appearance, came in 2010 when they went 20-13 with wins over ranked Tennessee, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, and Arizona. The Wildcats’ last win over a ranked opponent came in 2023 when they beat San Diego in the non-conference slate.

After the first 6 matches of the B1G season, Northwestern is currently sitting in last place in the conference going 0-6 against USC, UCLA, Minnesota, Ohio State, Penn State, and Maryland. Out of the 21 sets played in the first 6 matches, they have only won 3 of those sets.

Junior OH Mara Stiglic is in her first season at Northwestern, after transferring from Utah State, and has quickly become one of the top hitters on the team. Stiglic has 226 kills and is averaging 3.71 kills/set. This is good enough for 7th in the conference for kills/set. Nebraska has no one in the top ten for this statistic. Stiglic also has 31 blocks this season, which is 2nd on the team.

Sophomore OH Bella Bullington is another offensive weapon for the Wildcats after appearing in all matches last season as a freshman. Bullington is currently second on the team with 195 kills and is averaging a little less kills/set than Stiglic with 3.15. While Bullington doesn’t have near as many blocks, she dig the ball a good amount for the team with 78 and is averaging just over one dig per set.

Senior OH Campbell Paris rounds out the top hitters on the Wildcats roster. Paris is a transfer from South Carolina, playing her first season at Northwestern in 2025. She was a big contributor last season and still is this season with 164 kills and is hitting at a .261% clip. Paris, like Stiglic, blocks a lot of balls for the team with 24 currently.

Northwestern’s defense is led by Freshman MB Maya Stillwell, Freshman Setter Ellie Stiernagle, and Stiglic. Stillwell is currently leading the team with 50 blocks and is averaging 0.82 blocks/set. As mentioned before Stiglic is a big presence at the net with 31 blocks and then Stiernagle rounds out the 3 with 26 blocks.

The Wildcats’ other potential starting MB is Sophomore Kayla Kauffman. Even though Kauffman only has 17 blocks this season, she is averaging 0.90 blocks/set which is 1st on the team. These stats are only through 19 sets played out of the 63 that have been played in total.

Northwestern has one player from Nebraska on their roster. Freshman Kaitlyn Bodnar is in her first season of college volleyball. She played all four years of high school at Duchesne. She earned All-Omaha Area and Class B awards her junior and senior year. She played club with VCNebraska. Bodnar has only played 7 sets this season and has racked up 16 assists.

Thursdays match will begin at 7:00pm CST in Evanston, Illinois at Welsh-Ryan Arena. It will only be available to stream on B1G+.

#1 Keri Leimbach 5’4″ SO DS/L
#2 Bergen Reilly 6’1″ SR Setter
#3 Virginia Adriano 6’5″ SO OPP
#4 Campbell Flynn 6’3″ SO Setter
#6 Laney Choboy 5’3″ SR DS/L
#8 Kenna Cogill 6’4″ SO MB
#10 Olivia Mauch 5’6″ JR DS/L
#11 Teraya Sigler 6’3″ SO OH
#14 Manaia Ogbechie 6’3″ SO MB
#15 Andi Jackson 6’3″ SR MB
#17 Keoni Williams 6’4″ FR MB
#18 Ryan Hunter 6’2″ SO OPP
#20 Jayden Robinson 6’3″ FR OH
#21 Skyler Pierce 6’2″ JR OH
#23 Gabby DiVita 6’1″ FR OH
#27 Harper Murray 6’2″ SR OH

#2 Drew Wright 5’11” SR DS/L
#4 Kayla Kauffman 6’2″ SO MB
#5 Kaitlyn Bodnar 5’9″ FR Setter
#6 Clara Schramm 6’1″ FR OH
#7 Lauren Dignan 5’7″ SO DS/L
#8 Gabrielle Gerry 6’5″ SR MB
#9 Hayley Schaaf 6’3″ FR MB
#11 Ellie Stiernagle 6’2″ FR Setter
#12 Mara Stiglic 6’2″ JR OH
#16 Ava Pratt 6’2″ RS-SO OH
#17 Maya Stillwell 6’4″ FR MB
#20 Lily Wagner 5’11” SR OH
#21 Simone Huarte 6’2″ FR OH
#22 Bella Bullington 6’1″ SO OH
#23 Gigi Navarrete 5’6″ SR DS/L
#24 Cate Schnell 6’1″ RS-JR OH
#25 Campbell Paris 6’5″ SR OH