DeKALB — Two seasons after arriving at NIU volleyball as a transfer, senior opposite/outside hitter Emily Dykes has entered the transfer portal for the second time in her career, according to a post by College Volleyball Transfers on X, formerly known as Twitter.

Dykes started 48 matches for the Huskies during her two-season stint in DeKalb. The Winterville, North Carolina, native transferred to NIU in Spring 2022 after spending her first two college seasons at Radford University.

In her first season as a Huskie in 2022, Dykes played in 27 matches, starting 25 and recording a career-high 241 kills. She finished third on the team in hitting percentage (.266), kills per set (2.54) and points per set (3.05).

In 2023, Dykes started 23 of the 27 matches she played in after missing the season’s first three matches with a left hand injury. Dykes finished the season as one of the MAC’s most efficient hitters — her .302 hitting percentage ranking 10th in the conference. Dykes also placed second on the team in kills per set (2.21) and third in points per set (2.56).

Dykes’ departure leaves NIU with three outside hitters on its roster: sophomore Nazli Güvener, junior Nikolette Nedic and freshman Sydney Robinson. Incoming recruits Ava Grevengoed and Emma McCartney will join NIU’s outside hitter group as freshmen next season.