DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team opened its 2021 season Friday by going 1-1 against Western Illinois and CSU Bakersfield. The Huskies defeated the Leathernecks 3-1 before dropping its nightcap to CSU Bakersfield 3-1.
"Every team that's out here this weekend is trying to battle to get wins," said head coach Ray Gooden. "It was a good team win this morning against Western Illinois. You have to give credit to Bakersfield. They have the tempo that we're trying to match. Right now, we're trying to win together and learn together. When we're all in it for each other, we did a good job."
NIU (1-1) hit .285 as a team to defeat Western Illinois 25-22, 23-25, 25-20, 25-14 in the first match of the day. Junior outside hitter Katie Jablonski (Elburn, Ill./New Hampshire) led the Huskies with 14 kills and added 10 digs for a double-double. Sophomore Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) also had a double-double with 11 kills and a match-high 12 digs. She also hit a match-high .529 for the match. Grace Balensiefer (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon) dished out 44 assists as libero Samantha Juarez (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) chipped in 10 digs with a pair of aces.
The Huskies trailed 14-12 in the first set when a Jablonski kill and a block by Balensiefer and Jasmine Kemp (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) sparked an 8-0 NIU run that put the home team ahead 20-14. NIU earned set point in the opening frame against Western Illinois on a kill from freshman Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) to put the Huskies up 24-20. The Leathernecks fought off two set points, but a service error gave NIU the set 25-22.
Western Illinois (0-2) bounced back to take the second set 25-23. NIU took an early 9-4 lead in the third behind a 4-0 run capped by a block by Balensiefer and freshman middle blocker Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy). The Leathernecks cut the NIU lead to two at 15-13 on a Payton Bowman kill, but NIU responded with kills from Balensiefer and Atiemo to take a 17-14 advantage. The advantage grew to four at 22-18 on a Kemp kill, with the Huskies taking the set 25-20 on another Kemp kill to go up 2-1 in the match.
NIU ran out to an 8-1 lead in the fourth set and did not look back. The Huskies led by nine in the eventual deciding set when an Atiemo kill made the score 19-10. Senior middle blocker Angie Gromos (West Chicago, Ill./West Chicago) put the exclamation point on the victory with a kill on match point as NIU took the fourth 25-14 and the match 3-1.
The Huskies hit .325 in the third set and .379 in the fourth to put away the Leathernecks in the opener. NIU held Western Illinois to a .205 hitting percentage while holding a 51-38 edge in digs.
NIU dropped the nightcap of the first day of the Huskie Invitational to the CSU Bakersfield Roadrunners 21-25, 25-20, 18-25, 15-25. The Huskies could not keep pace with the Roadrunners' offense, hitting .126 to CSU Bakersfield's .240. Jablonski led the way for the second match in a row with 14 kills, adding 15 digs. Mihacevich put down 10 kills with 11 digs for a second consecutive double-double as well. Miranda Karlen (Evansville, Wis./Evansville) led NIU with 18 digs.
Despite the loss, Gooden liked the feel of the match in giving his Huskies a taste of what conference play could be like.
"That match had a MAC [Mid-American Conference] feel to it," Gooden said. "Both teams were scrapping and getting after it. It was cool and different to see a team playing with that tempo. That's where we want to get to. We can buckle down on that a little more, play a little bit cleaner, and we push that to five sets and hopefully have a chance to win."
NIU wraps up the Huskie Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Victor E. Court against Air Force at 2 p.m.
--NIU--
"open" - Google News
August 28, 2021 at 11:00AM
https://ift.tt/2XVZrii
NIU Volleyball Splits Matches In Huskie Invitational To Open Season - Northern Illinois University Athletics
"open" - Google News
https://ift.tt/3bYShMr
https://ift.tt/3d2SYUY
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "NIU Volleyball Splits Matches In Huskie Invitational To Open Season - Northern Illinois University Athletics"
Post a Comment