Northwestern volleyball is a program clearly on the rise. After finishing 5-23 in 2024, the Wildcats improved to 17-15 in 2025, a significant turnaround credited to an improved roster and greater continuity.
Now entering his third season at the helm, head coach Tim Nollan will rely on veteran talent and a promising group of newcomers to build on that progress, with the primary goals being leading Northwestern into the upper echelon of the conference and qualifying for the inaugural Big Ten Women’s
Volleyball Tournament.
On Monday, Nollan joined seniors Gigi Navarrete and Drew Wright at the 2026 Big Ten Volleyball Media Days in Chicago. Here’s what they discussed.
These quotes have been edited for brevity and clarity.
Nollan on Big Ten women’s volleyball: “The Big Ten is hands down, the best conference in the country, the biggest investment in women’s volleyball. I think the product that these institutions put on the floor is a good testament to that and a good reason why they should keep investing.”
Nollan on last season’s improvement: “I think the turnaround sparked from the buy-in of student-athletes like Gigi and Drew. Just really committing to playing what we deem now the Northwestern way, how we want to play volleyball systematically, defensively and offensively, understanding what we’re trying to do, getting all closer on the same page. Developing skills. We want to be known as the best skill developers in the country. We want to train the best. We want to have the most improvement within our student-athletes. I think these two embody that.”
Wright on goals for this season: “We really have focused on defense and honing in on the small things, kind of just going back to the drawing board, really getting specific. I’m hoping to see that translate this fall.”
Navarrete on team chemistry: “I think culture is a big thing here. We have been working on that in the summer, especially with our six new freshmen that we have. It’s super exciting to get to see from where we are now to how we finish in the end.”
Nollan on selecting Navarrete and Wright to represent the program at Media Day: “As a staff, we decided that Drew and Gigi would come with us today because they really embody what we’re trying to build at Northwestern. They show up every day and work tirelessly at their craft. They compete with each other directly, but yet they support each other directly, which is amazing. We couldn’t think of a better duo to represent us here
today. The fact that there’s both liberos is just icing on the cake. As with you, I think the libero does not get a lot of credit in our sport. Everybody likes to talk about the big 6-foot-5 hitter that is making points. That doesn’t happen without the liberos.”
Nollan on diversifying schemes this season: “I think our staff does a really good job of dissecting opponents and dissecting ourselves, quite honestly, and trying to find ways to score two more points. If you watched us play, you’ll know we’re not afraid to try anything. We dual libero, we single libero, we dub subbed, we ran a 5-1. We’ll do whatever we think gives us the best opportunity that night. The best thing about our team, every night it might be a twist or tweak to that that might be a little bit different. We’re okay with that. We’re not stuck in this box of ‘we only do X.’ We’re willing to adapt, and I think we have the talent this year to continually adapt and make life tougher on our opponents.”
Wright on what being a libero means to her: “I think for me, it gives me an opportunity to be a selfless player, really support my players on and off the court. I take a lot of pride in being a rock for the girls who are making the big plays, doing the exciting stuff.”
Navarrete on the important role liberos play: “As a libero, we lead the back court, not just by digging the balls for the first contact, but also by using our voices. Ever since I have been a libero, I know that talking and communicating just shows my personality, which makes me the most confident player I can be for my team. Alongside with Drew’s comment on being super selfless, I think what made us as a group, also as liberos, the best that we can is supporting each other and supporting those who actually can put the ball down. Just feeling that pride in they can do it, is that we actually were part of that.”
Wright on being a tall libero: “For me, I played outside my whole high school career. I got to see the game on that side. I think that’s really helped me as a libero kind of see it in a different light because I was a hitter for so long, I now know what hitters’ tendencies are because I was one of them. The height thing doesn’t really play a difference. The outside has definitely benefited how I play libero.”
Navarrete on her greatest strength: “I think one of my greatest strengths is the way I cheer others on. I think I come from a very supportive household, and that has made me be the supportive teammate that I am. I think the biggest strength is just the support that I give others.”
Wright on her greatest strength: “For me, I would say consistency of just being a steady presence for everybody on the court, showing up every day the best I possibly can. Yeah, I think that also translates into how I play the game. It’s very consistent.”
Nollan on how he evaluates players while recruiting: “We look at a couple different things. First and foremost is how competitive you are. How does that look for you.Does it mean you’re running balls down off the court. Does it mean you’re better in the clutch. But I think competitiveness is a really big piece of the puzzle for us. Then we go on to what type of teammate are you. Are you making the person next to you better. Emanuel asked what they’re special at. I think one of their great superpowers, both of these players up here, is that they make the person next to them on the court better. That is something we certainly look for in the recruiting process.”
On balancing rigorous academics with athletics:
Wright: “I think we really rely on each other and we support each other. We know it’s going to get hard and chaotic, but we know we can always fall back on each other. I think Northwestern also does a good job of giving us the resources and support we need to succeed. We’re very grateful for all the support we get.”
Navarrette: “Our schedules are also very tight. Just finding ways to also take care of ourselves in the little time that we have really helps our mental game and also just having something to lean on no matter what.”
Nollan: “Our campus partners do a really good job of helping our student-athletes. We have an academic service department with our own academic advisor, DeAnthony, who does a good job scheduling tutors, mentors, learning specialists, making sure our students are staying on task and communicating with their professors.”
Wright on her former high school Mira Costa: “Yeah, I think that was a very special place. It really is my roots. It taught me how to be a competitor, how to compete.I was just surrounded by the best of the best growing up playing volleyball. Yeah, Mira Costa was awesome. There’s so much history, such a volleyball school, that it was great getting to play there.”
Nollan on what he’s learned about the Big Ten: “I think the biggest takeaway, what I didn’t know or didn’t necessarily expect, was the commitment the institutions have to each of their own programs, and the way they run home events is really first class. Volleyball is volleyball. X’s and O’s, the players, but how events are run and the crowds and the excitement that the Big Ten has helped foster at each of those institutions for our sport has been incredible to now be part of and really experience. Again, I think the Big Ten is pushing women’s volleyball to new heights. I think each of the institutions are doing a really, really good job at following in these footsteps and pushing boundaries.”
Navarrete on her former high school Mother McAuley: “McAuley has taught me so much about myself, not only from the volleyball standpoint, but just about who I am as a person. Coming from an all-girls high school, we have so much support for each other. That’s where I really gained and built my confidence. Being able to showcase myself at Northwestern with having all of the McAuley alumni and people who have supported me throughout it all is just such a full-circle moment, and it is really exciting.”
Nollan on the new age-based eligibility model: “I think in terms of how we construct the roster, it’s not going to change our philosophy much. We still want to recruit elite high school talent. We want to invest in it and develop it. We’re going to wait and see exactly how it shakes out. So many twists and turns down this ruling. I think obviously at some point clocks are going to get longer and be five full years. I think every institution is going to take it a little bit differently. For us, we’re going to really evaluate and it find ways we can maximize the Northwestern athletic experience and put our program in a position to win.”
Navarrete: “Adding onto what Tim said about the twists and turns, there’s a lot still going on. I’m more eager to learn about that rule. Excited to see where it takes us.”
Nollan on the inaugural Big Ten Volleyball Tournament: “I’m really excited for the tournament. I think it’s going to be an incredible TV event. I think it allows us to showcase the quality of the league. Taking 15 teams, giving some byes to protect the top seeds so they’re not exhausted going into the NCAA tournament. I like the timing of it before Thanksgiving, before the draw. I also like that it changed the regular season to a single round-robin. It’s a balanced and equitable schedule to rank out for the tournament seeding. To me it’s a win-win. I think the Big Ten did a good job of listening to the coaches and implementing it for this fall, and I think the nature and structure of it is going to be first class.”
