NIU volleyball (2-10, 0-2 MAC) fell to the Toledo Rockets (9-5, 2-0 MAC) in three sets on Saturday. It is the Huskies’ fourth sweep in a row and their second in back to back games against Toledo.
LOWEST OF THE LOW
NIU’s offensive struggles reached its pinnacle in Saturday’s game.
NIU scored 29 kills on a hit rate of .047. Both marks are season lows. In sets 2 and 3, the Huskies hit at a rate below .030 (.029, .026). On the opposite side, Toledo put up 40 kills and hit an efficient .217.
The Huskies also had 24 errors in this game, compared to Toledo’s 17.
NIU kept the first set close but eventually let Toledo go on a 6-0 run en route to falling 18-25.
The second set was the Huskies’ best opportunity to win a frame as they found themselves up 20-15, but the Rockets came back and closed the frame out on a 10-3 run as NIU fell 23-25.
Struggling to close out with a lead has been a trend this season, and NIU volleyball head coach Sondra D’Amore cited it as a takeaway from this game and a constant point of emphasis for her team.
“Continue to find ways to finish sets,” D’Amore said. “We have to keep pushing that in the practice gym so it translates into match play. We’re getting closer and closer, just have to stay the course.”
The third set was the worst for the Huskies, as they began down 6-0 and never led. NIU hit at a rate of .026 in the final frame and errored 11 times. They dropped the set 19-25.
STANDOUT HUSKIES
Freshman setter Ella Strausberger led the team with 20 assists. She also contributed 2 kills, 4 digs and 1 ace. This is her third game this season posting 20 or more assists.
Senior libero Crew Hoffmeier put in a good showing. She led the game with 23 digs and also contributed 4 assists and 1 ace. Coming into this game, Hoffmeier was 6th in the nation in digs per set, averaging 5.36.
STANDOUT ROCKETS
Rockets sophomore setter Macy Hatkevich led the game with 34 assists, andas she also played her part defensively, popping up 8 digs. This is now her fourth game in a row posting 30 or more assists and her second in back to back games against NIU.
Junior outside hitter Izzy Granger posted a double-double in this game, her fifth of the season. She led the Rockets in kills with 14 and was second in digs with 11. She also contributed 1 ace and 2 block assists.
The Rockets were also defensively sound as a unit and posted 12 total blocks, making it hard for the Huskies to penetrate their front line.
“They are a balanced team and our offense became a bit too predictable at times,” D’Amore said. “That makes it a lot easier to defend and Toledo did a good job at recognizing those situations.”
UP NEXT:
The Huskies look to recoup on the season at 6 p.m Thursday at Victor E. Court against the University of Akron. Live streaming will be provided on ESPN+, and Live stats will be available through SIDEARM Sports.
