The first day of NIU’s appearance in the National Invitational Volleyball Championship did not live up to the Huskies expectations.

NIU split the first round of pool play Thursday with a win over Appalachian State University (15-12, 15-9, 15-10) and a painful loss to Santa Clara University (15-9, 15-11, 15-12).

NIU head coach Pete Waite was a man of few words following NIU’s 1-1 outing but gave praise to the team’s efforts against Appalachian State.

“We started out slow but we did get it straightened out,” Waite said. “We played well enough to win.”

Santa Clara, the No. 1 seed in NIU’s pool, was a beatable team, according to Waite, but the Huskies warmed up too late.

“We just weren’t sharp,” Waite said. “We didn’t start playing well until it was 14-5 in the third game.”

The Huskies continue competition within their pool Friday as they meet up with Villanova and the College of William and Mary. The winner of pool play moves onto the semifinal round Saturday with the championship scheduled for that evening.