The past few NIU volleyball seasons haven’t been as exciting as this one has been so far, that’s what I’ve gathered, anyway.
After going 7-2 in non-conference play, the Huskies have the confidence and momentum needed to make their Mid-American Conference retirement tour a MAC revenge tour before riding off into the sunset in the Horizon.
This is volleyball’s best start since 2011, a team ending its season 28-7 (14-2 MAC). I understand not wanting to get too optimistic just yet, but these Huskies are commanding the court and demanding your attention to a potentially history-making season.
THE SERVES ARE SERVING
Service aces are a surefire way to rack up points, that is, if the serves are actually aces.
It seems as though NIU has aces in spades this season. In their first nine games, the Huskies nailed 73 aces, averaging 8.1 a game. They haven’t hit this many aces this early in over a decade, which is kind of outrageous on its own.
Those 73 aces span across eight different players, making each rotation a new type of threat to the opposing teams. If NIU keeps its arms hot, keeping the ball in play will prove difficult for the MAC.
YOUTH IS INDEED THE NAME OF THE GAME
At NIU Athletics’s preseason press conference, head volleyball coach Sondra D’Amore said youth was the name of the game. I keep thinking back to that as I bear witness to the Huskies’ reign of terror over non-conference opponents. With all of this hand-picked, young talent tearing up the court, there’s never just one player shining out there.
Sophomore outside hitters Ava Grevengoed and Emma McCartney have led the NIU offense to new heights in these opening weeks. They’ve been top three in kills in each game so far; McCartney had the most kills in five games, with Grevengoed leading in kills in three.
The pair’s prodigious offensive abilities are key to NIU dominating the MAC this season and will terrorize the Horizon League in the coming years.
A few freshmen have also shown promise for NIU’s defensive future: Outside hitter Naomi Dowd and middle blocker Savannah Gogel.
Dowd recorded 12 digs and 8 block assists across eight games so far this season, not to mention her 21 kills to help the offense. Gogel’s 4 block assists and 8 kills put Indiana University Indianapolis on notice at the Hampton Inn Invitational last weekend as well.
With room and time to grow, NIU’s underclassmen will continue to find ways to show out.
SET UP FOR SUCCESS
The Huskies’ offense doesn’t just consist of striking power, but of playmakers with eyes wide open. Redshirt junior Kylie Schulze and sophomore Ella Strausberger are two setters who keep NIU in the game on both sides of the ball.
Schulze has three double-doubles so far this season, with each double-digit tally landing in the assists and digs columns. With three standout performances on both offense and defense, she’s proving to be a reliable asset to the roster.
Strausberger also drives the offense forward, tallying the most assists in six games so far. She put up a season-high 49 assists against Stetson University earlier in the season.
With this setter duo, the Huskies should maintain their strong start through the following weeks.
A LASTING IMPRESSION
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the impact transfers have had on the team.
Junior middle blocker Autumn Flynn has helped every aspect of NIU’s game, from serving to blocking to kills. Her stat line is never empty, as she’s led the team in blocks three times, aces twice and kills once so far this season.
Sophomore libero Jordyn Tynsky’s defensive contributions aren’t to be ignored either. She led the team in digs for six games so far this season, and led in service aces against IU Indy in NIU’s last game. Whether she’s digging up the ball or behind the service line, Tynsky brings heat to the Huskies.
