Like you might find its players doing on the sideline during a mid-match challenge, NIU volleyball has found itself in a limbo near the end of its non-conference stretch.
After losing every one of its matches at the DePaul Invitational in Chicago this past weekend, Northern Illinois remains winless in contests played within state confines and stuck on a five-game skid.
From watching the matches at McGrath-Phillips Arena to looking at the numbers, I’ve seen quite a bit of good but also some not-so-good about NIU volleyball.
IN THE GUTTERS
The weekend stretch dealt both extremes of defeat to the Huskies. From a sweep at the hands of DePaul University on Thursday to a nail-biting loss in five sets to the University of St. Thomas on Saturday.
NIU currently sits at a 1-8 overall record. It’s the worst start to a season since the 2017 campaign that opened with 11 consecutive losses.
Simply put, the Huskies are sitting pretty close to rock bottom. Their one-win mark puts them in the basement of the MAC standings. The one thing keeping NIU from complete rock bottom is its lone win against the University of North Carolina Wilmington on Sept. 1. That’s something that can’t be taken away.
While there’s plenty of volleyball left to be played, the Huskies have found themselves in a spot most teams should dread. Getting at least a win or two at the upcoming UNI Tournament is pivotal for NIU’s momentum in anticipation of matchups against many talented MAC squads.
HOLY, HITTERS!
NIU’s outside hitter group, while mediocre at times, has had multiple players step up and post impactful numbers in matches this past weekend.
Senior opposite/outside hitter Emily Dykes played her first full tournament since returning from a left pinky injury. Dykes appeared as a substitute Thursday before making her first two starts of the season Friday and Saturday. She accumulated 39 kills through the weekend. Dykes’ kill counts on Thursday (9) and Friday (14) each led the team.
Sophomore outside hitter Nazli Güvener was the only player to overtake Dykes in kills over the weekend. The second-year spiker registered a team-best – and a career-high – 18 kills Saturday.
Along with Dykes and Güvener, graduate student right side hitter Isabelle Percoco and junior outside hitter Nikolette Nedic – who leads the Huskies with 126 kills – made up four of the five players to record double-digit kills Saturday.
A LUXURY AT LIBERO
For the previous two seasons, NIU fans got to enjoy superb defensive play from libero Francesca “Franki” Bertucci. After Bertucci transferred out of the program for the greener pastures of the SEC over the offseason, the libero position was a question mark left to be answered.
Nine matches into the 2023 campaign, it’s safe to say that NIU has found that answer in junior libero Crew Hoffmeier. The transfer formerly of Virginia Commonwealth University has registered 202 digs in the 39 matches she’s started. Hoffmeier’s 5.18 digs per set lead the Mid-American Conference and put her at 16th in the nation.
After an offseason that had a lot of question marks amidst a coaching regime change, it’s comforting to have maintained stability at the leading position of the back row.
ALIGNING RHYTHMS
Throughout the weekend, NIU was unable to bring the high-level performance of its offense and defense in synchrony.
NIU’s tournament debut on Thursday was an all-around lackluster performance on both ends of the ball. NIU was held to .130 hitting while DePaul hit .369 on its way to a 3-0 smothering of the Huskies.
Come Friday, the Huskie defense was the highlight of the night. Despite the four-set loss, the front row blocked a season-high 14 attacks.
NIU found its offensive stride Saturday with a season-high 71 kills, only for the defense to give up 69 kills.
There is now evidence of an NIU offense that can be lethal on the attack and a defense capable of stifling opposing firepower. If NIU can finally put two and two together, the Huskies will have themselves a team that can put up a good fight against – and maybe even upset – some powerful conference foes.
