NIU volleyball (3-20, 1-12 MAC) fell to the University at Buffalo Bulls (14-13, 10-4 MAC) in four sets. It is the Huskies’ eighth loss in a row.
COMING UP SHORT
The first set was a close one. NIU led by as much as three and were never down by more than five. It was one of the Huskies most efficient sets of the season, hitting at a rate of .300 and posting 11 kills to 2 errors. Buffalo still outdid them, however, posting 17 kills at a .412 rate. NIU also posted 4 service aces in the first set but it wasn’t enough as the Bulls closed the set on a 5-1 run to win 25-20.
The second set was another back-and-forth affair with 12 lead changes. NIU led by as much as four (21-17) but struggled to close out the frame. Buffalo fought back and took the frame to a deuce 24-24. From there, the teams continued to trade scores until the Bulls caught wind and wrapped the set up 32-30. Both teams posted 3 service aces and hit at a similar rate with .200 for the Huskies and .204 for the Bulls.
NIU volleyball head coach Sondra D’Amore praised her team’s work at the service line and recognized the role it played in the matchup.
“Serving tough is always a goal,” D’Amore said. “It kept us in the match and the team was very intentional about hitting their zones.”
The third set saw the Huskies win their first frame in six games. NIU went on a 11-3 run in the middle of the frame (10-10 to 21-13) and despite a late push from the Bulls, the Huskies closed the set out 25-17. NIU hit at a rate of .419 to Buffalo’s .200 and the Huskies also posted 5 of their match total 12 service errors in this frame.
“We got better as a team today,” D’Amore said. “To respond after 1 and 2 the way we did in 3 means we have a lot of fight and passion to win. I loved seeing the resiliency today.”
The fourth set saw Buffalo regain the momentum en route to securing the win. NIU hit at a rate of .051 to Buffalo’s .359 and would post 9 kills to 7 errors, both marks worse than Buffalo’s numbers of 17 kills and 3 errors. The Bulls would finish the Huskies 25-15 taking the set as well as the match.
STANDOUT HUSKIES
Senior outside hitter Nikolette Nedic led with 17 kills and hit at a rate of .571. She also was a factor defensively posting a team-leading 1 solo block as well as 1 block assist.
Senior libero Crew Hoffmeier also shined. She led the Huskies with 19 digs and did effective work at the service line leading with a season-high 5 aces. She was also third on the team in assists with 8.
Freshman middle blocker Rylea Alvin was a standout defensively. She led the team in block assists with 4 and also popped up 1 dig. Alvin currently leads the Huskies in blocks on the season with 58.
STANDOUT BULLS
Sixth year middle blocker Abby Leigh led the Bulls with 18 kills on a hit rate of .484. She also contributed defensively, leading the bulls with 3 block assists.
Senior setter Mandy Leigh led with 47 assists and posted a double-double as she popped up 14 digs. Leigh is currently second in the MAC in assists with 899.
Fifth year outside hitter Katrin Trebichavska was second in kills with 16 and chipped in at the service line leading the team with 3 aces. Trebichavska leads the MAC in kills with 324.
UP NEXT
NIU volleyball will continue their season at 6 p.m Tuesday at Victor E. Court in DeKalb as they take on the Western Michigan University Broncos. Live streaming will be available on ESPN+ and live stats will be available on SIDEARM Sports.
