The Minnesota volleyball team will look to rebound from an 0-2 start in Big Ten play, its first since 1993, as it hosts Northwestern on Friday, Oct. 3 at 7 p.m. and will take on Illinois on Saturday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m. Northwestern enters the week with a 9-5 overall record and a 0-2 Big Ten record. Last week, the Wildcats lost in four games to Illinois and to No. 23 Wisconsin in five games.

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Illinois defeated Northwestern in four games and lost to No. 23 Wisconsin in four games last week. Last season, Minnesota swept the season series against Northwestern winning both meetings in three games. The Golden Gophers split with Illinois last season, losing a five-game match at home and winning a four-game match on the road. Heading into the week Minnesota has won 19 straight matches against Northwestern. Illinois and Minnesota have split the series the past two seasons.

Minnesota is 12-10 overall in Big Ten home openers and 4-3 under current head coach Mike Hebert. The Golden Gopher have won four straight Big Ten home openers, including last year's three-game victory over No. 21 Michigan State. The Golden Gophers are also 5-4 in Big Ten home openers at the Sports Pavilion. In Hebert's four victories in Big Ten home openers, Minnesota has defeated No. 21 Michigan State (2002), Indiana (2001), Purdue (2000) and No. 15 Wisconsin (1999). His three losses came at the hands of No. 1 Penn State (1998), Michigan (1997) and No. 2 Penn State (1996). The Golden Gophers head into the week with a 0-2 record against Northwestern in Big Ten home openers. The Wildcats defeated the Golden Gophers in five games to begin Minnesota's home Big Ten slate in both 1987 and 1998.