After being the MAC’s fourth-ranked squad eight days ago, the NIU volleyball team is experiencing free fall after sustaining its third consecutive loss in the span of five days.
NIU (8-15, 6-5 MAC) was undone in four sets,15-25, 25-16, 24-26, 18-25, by the Central Michigan University Chippewas (10-13, 4-7 MAC) in Saturday’s series finale at McGuirk Arena in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
The Huskies fell behind in the match early before flipping the script in Set 2. The tying set started at a 19-4 NIU advantage before the Huskies gave up a 12-3 Chippewa run that wiped out a blowout opportunity. NIU dropped the final two frames to extend its losing streak to three matches.
STATISTICAL SUPERIORITY
Central Michigan led the match in nearly every statistical category, including kills (61), hitting percentage (.314), assists (57) and digs (64).
Chippewa junior opposite Krystina Kasson’s match-leading offensive outing riddled NIU with 15 kills on .556 hitting, both match-best marks.
NIU’s lone statistical advantage was in the blocking phase. After getting out-blocked in Friday’s loss, the Huskies posted eight team blocks to CMU’s six.
TRANSFER SHINES IN MURKY MATCH
Graduate student right side hitter Isabelle Percoco came off the bench to lead the Huskies in kills and hitting percentage. Percoco – one of NIU’s six transfer portal additions over the past offseason – finished with 14 kills, matching her career-high set during her senior season at Georgia State University in 2022.
Senior opposite/outside hitter Emily Dykes contributed 13 kills, followed by sophomore outside hitter Nazli Güvener’s nine.
Percoco and Güvener also made their presences known at the net with three blocks apiece. Junior middle blocker Charli Atiemo racked up a match-best five blocks – a solo block and five block assists.
DOUBLE DOUBLE-DOUBLES
Setters from both sides of the net ended Saturday’s match with a double-double performance. NIU senior setter Ella Mihacevich tallied 20 helpers and tacked on 10 digs to tie junior libero Crew Hoffmeier for NIU’s lead in digs. CMU sophomore setter Claire Ammeraal led the match with 47 assists along with 11 digs.
NIU junior setter Sophie Hurt had 21 assists but fell a dig shy of recording her third career double-double.
DOWN, BUT NOT OUT
With the loss, the Huskies finished their Michigan road trip with an 0-3 record. NIU remains in the upper half of the MAC standings at No. 6 while being a half-game ahead of the University of Akron.
NIU will host that same Akron squad, along with the University at Buffalo, next weekend at Victor E. Court. The Huskies will play the Zips at 6 p.m. Friday with the MAC’s No. 6 seed on the line. Live statistics will be accessible on SIDEARM Sports.
