NIU Volleyball (3-14, 1-6 MAC) fell to the Eastern Michigan University Eagles (12-10, 6-2 MAC) in 5 sets. The Huskies have now lost eight of their last nine games.
HOT START, COLD FINISH
The Huskies jumped out to a 2-0 lead in Thursday’s match. They proceeded to lose the next 3 sets in a row.
The first set was the most dominant for NIU. The Huskies closed out the Eagles 25-15 in this frame, at one point going on a 9-0 run. NIU hit 13 kills in the first set on a .281 hit rate, both marks being match highs. They also had 4 service aces to salt away the win.
The second set was another strong one for the Huskies. They once again hit above .200 in this frame, this time with a percentage of .256. NIU also continued their work at the line with another ace in this frame.
In the third set, Eastern Michigan stepped up. They slammed 15 kills and hit at a rate of .394. Both marks were superior to NIU’s 10 kills on a .100 rate. The Eagles closed the frame out on a 9-4 run, en route to winning it 25-18.
The fourth set saw the Eagles continue to build on their momentum as Eastern Michigan went up by as much as 6 (10-16). Though the Huskies fought to keep it close, the Eagles closed the set winning 25-23. Both teams hit under .200 in this frame with .173 for the Huskies and .196 for the Eagles, but Eastern Michigan slammed more kills (17-15).
The fifth set saw the Eagles overcome the Huskies 15-10. The Huskies hit at a negative rate of -.074 and never led in the frame.
NIU Volleyball head coach Sondra D’Amore pointed to the fall off in their productivity at the service line as a key factor in the loss.
“Our serve controlled the first two sets which allowed us to transition out well and score at a high clip,” D’Amore said. “Our serving pressure really shifted the momentum not in our favor in sets 3-5.”
STANDOUT HUSKIES
Freshman outside hitter Ava Grevengoed was a standout performer. Grevengoed was second on the team in kills with 16 and attacked at rate of .256. She also led with 4 service aces and contributed defensively with 11 digs and 2 total blocks.
Senior middle blocker Charli Atiemo also shined. She was third on the team with 13 kills and was active on defense leading with 5 total blocks and popping up 4 digs.
Freshman setter Ella Strausberger was also dominant, posting a game-leading 43 assists to go along with 9 digs and 1 total block.
STANDOUT EAGLES
Junior middle blocker Abby Stanford soared for the Eagles. She led the team with 18 kills on a hit rate of .533. She also chipped in with 2 digs and 3 total blocks.
Sophomore setter Ella Voorhees was also impactful. She led the Eagles in assists with 30 and posted a double-double with 10 digs. Voorhees currently leads Eastern Michigan in assists this season with 409.
UP NEXT
The Huskies look to bounce back at 5 p.m Friday in Mount Pleasant, Michigan, against Central Michigan University. Streaming can be found on ESPN+ and live stats can be found on SIDEARM Sports.
