NIU volleyball (3-16, 1-8 MAC) fell to the Western Michigan University Broncos (9-11, 5-4 MAC) in three sets Tuesday. It is the second game in a row that the Huskies have been swept and the seventh sweep of the season.
NEW GAME, SAME RESULT
The first set saw the Huskies go down early 1-7 and never fully recover. They would lose the frame 25-19 and never lead, being down by as much as 10 points multiple times. NIU would only have one more kill (11) than attack errors (10) and would hit at a rate of .026.
Set two would be the worst for the Huskies on the scoreboard as they lost 25-15. In this frame NIU would again hit below .100 with a .086 rate and post 8 attack errors. Western Michigan on the other hand hit at a .500 rate and had 1 attack error.
The third set would be the most efficient for NIU. The Huskies hit at a rate of .190 in this frame and posted 14 kills to 6 attack errors. The Broncos were again more efficient, posting 15 kills to 4 attack errors with a hit rate of .355. NIU kept this frame close for most of it, coming within 2 points multiple times, but would ultimately fall 25-19.
Talking about her team falling victim to similar issues in this game as they have all season, NIU volleyball head coach Sondra D’Amore noted the high error total (24) and emphasized working harder in the gym.
“Similar issues mean we need to keep training in our practice gym and execute better on weekends,” D’Amore said. “We were very high error tonight –aggressive, which is a change, but too high error.”
STANDOUT HUSKIES
Freshman outside hitter Ava Grevengoed shined for the Huskies. She led with 11 kills and was a factor on defense with 5 digs and also notching 1 total block.
Senior setter Sophie Hurt led with 22 assists and chipped in on defense with 3 digs and 1 total block. It is her first game with 20+ assists since Sept. 14 against Stony Brook University.
Senior outside hitter Nikolette Nedic was also a standout. She was tied for third on the team in kills with 6 and hit at a rate of .267. She was impactful down the stretch with 4 of her kills coming in the final set.
STANDOUT BRONCOS
Senior middle blocker Madison Merz was impactful for the Broncos. She was tied for the team lead in kills with 10 and hit at a .714 rate. She also contributed defensively with 4 digs and a season high 7 total blocks.
Senior outside hitter Julia Marr shined. She was also tied with 10 kills and attacked at a .391 hit rate. She also chipped in on the front line with 2 total blocks.
Fifth year setter Logan Case led with 30 assists. She also had a double-double as she tied for the team lead in digs with 10. This is Case’s ninth double-double of the season.
UP NEXT
The Huskies will look to salvage their season 6 p.m. Friday at Victor E. Court against Ball State University. Live streaming will be provided on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on SIDEARM Sports.
