Volleyball offseason update: Where Northwestern’s latest additions leave the squad heading into fall

A new era of Northwestern volleyball means a rotating set of offseason moves.

After being named Northwestern’s new head coach in February, Tim Nollan has been busy ebbing the flows of his first offseason in Evanston. On May 28, the ‘Cats grabbed former Washington middle blocker Sophia Summers, and a day later, snagged ex-Liberty outside hitter Lily Wagner.

Alongside Kennedy Hill, Summers is expected to fill the void that Leilani Dodson’s departure to UCLA leaves in the middle of Northwestern’s lineup. Despite redshirting her first season in 2019 and not appearing last season, Summers played in 63 matches, appearing in 179 sets over her three seasons of action as a Husky.

During her last season of play in 2022, Summers started every match, playing all 116 sets while posting 1.36 kills per set, a .358 attack percentage and even pacing the team with 0.87 blocks per set. Against Northwestern at the Husky Invitational in 2022, Summers racked up eight kills in a 3-1 Washington win over the Wildcats. At 6-foot-3, Summers brings great length defensively and kill-ability to the heart of Northwestern’s squad.

Her NCAA Tournament experience will also be an asset to Northwestern’s young group. As a redshirt-freshman, she contributed to the Huskies’ Pac-12 regular season championship and trip to the NCAA Final Four in 2020-21. A season later, she upped her numbers and her impact, hitting at an inflated .489, helping the team make a trip to the Sweet 16. And in 2022, with Summers in the starting lineup, the Huskies made it back to the tournament – before losing to TCU in the opening round.

With Julia Sangiacomo, Averie Hernandez and Maddy Chinn leaving Evanston this offseason, Wagner’s addition fills a massive need as a pin hitter. While she does have a year of collegiate experience under her belt after her first year with the Flames in 2023, Wagner’s biggest assets are her talent and her age. Formerly the No. 3-ranked recruit in Wisconsin by PrepDig, the 5-foot-11 outside hitter has three years of eligibility remaining.

As a freshman, she struggled offensively, only racking up 0.65 kills per set on 0.089 hitting efficiency. However, she’s flashed a high skillset at times, most notably with 15 kills in her first two collegiate appearances. Defensively, she’s stout, having averaged 2.11 digs per set as a freshman, including an 18-dig effort against New Mexico State.

Big Ten DNA is in her blood too. Wagner’s mother, a former All-American at Wisconsin, won a Big Ten title with the Badgers in 1997.

However, even with the additions of Summers and Wagner, this Northwestern squad still needs to make a couple of moves to stay competitive. After losing 10.54 kills per set between Sangiacomo (4.09), Hernandez (2.52), Dodson (2.10) and Chinn (1.83), the ‘Cats will likely continue their search for offensive juice.

With less competition for game action, Kathryn Randorf should take another leap after averaging 1.93 kills per set in 2023, but even then a group of pins featuring Randorf, Rylen Reid and Wagner is missing a true workhorse. A consistent presence at outside hitter has become synonymous with Northwestern volleyball in recent years with Temi Thomas-Ailara from 2019 to 2022 and Sangiacomo in 2023. Without that steady production, the Wildcats’ offense will still need more contributors.

Look for Nollan and Co. to stay active, adding some depth to the squad, but more importantly — another pin hitter to provide some consistent offense for the ‘Cats.