NIU volleyball traveled one last time this regular season to face Kent State University on Friday night. The Huskies (12-14, 5-12 MAC) couldn’t find consistency against the Golden Flashes (8-20, 3-14 MAC), and KSU took advantage in the first set.
NIU got back into the game offensively to take the second set, and stayed hungry to claim the third after extra rallies. The Golden Flashes forced the match to a fifth set, but the Huskies refused to lose. NIU overcame KSU 3-2 to snap its three-game losing streak.
“There were a lot of ups and downs throughout the match,” head volleyball coach Sondra D’Amore said via text. “This team continued to never give up, which is something that they have done all season. To be able to see a win come from that effort, especially on the road, was a proud moment for the team.”
OVERWHELMING THE OPPOSITION
For her third straight match, sophomore middle blocker Rylea Alvin put up 9 total blocks for the Huskie defense, jumping 2 solo blocks and 7 block assists. Alvin made 2 digs and also landed 6 kills for the offense. She credits her team for keeping their opponents out of system to make it easier to track the ball and make defensive plays.
“Blocking is something that I take a lot of pride in,” Alvin said via text. “It feels good to make that impact for my team. It’s something that I work very hard on. My teammates help a lot, especially when we serve, though, and that’s something our team is very good at, keeping teams out of the system. Going into tomorrow, I want to keep being disciplined and just keep getting better every day and soaking in the last game of the season with these girls and finishing on a high note.”
Freshman outside hitter Naomi Dowd made her presence known to the Golden Flashes, logging a season-high 14 kills to help lead the team on offense. She also contributed 2 block assists, 2 digs and 1 assist. Junior middle blocker Autumn Flynn followed closely behind with 13 kills and 1 assist. On defense, Flynn added 4 block assists and 5 digs.
Freshman middle blocker Savannah Gogel also popped off on defense, jumping 5 block assists and matching Alvin’s 6 kills.
FINISHING STRONG
With one game left of the regular season, D’Amore said belief is one of the most important things the team has right now.
“I hope that there is continued belief that they can win battles,” D’Amore said via text. “We came back from big deficits, beat a team in five (sets) and did it on the road in conference. All things we’ve been working hard for all year. The goal is to repeat that belief, and finish the season with a win.”
Redshirt junior setter Kylie Schulze earned her fifth double-double of the season, recording 25 assists and 15 digs. She also led the team with 2 service aces. Schulze said defense was a skill she focused on heading into this season.
“Being able to produce for my team not only as a setter but as a defender has always been a priority of mine,” Schulze said via text. “I pride myself in giving my teammates better opportunities to score, whether that is from setting or keeping the ball alive on defense.”
Sophomore outside hitter Emma McCartney notched her sixth double-double of the season, also leading the offense with 14 kills and racking up 19 digs. She nailed 3 block assists and added 1 service ace. Sophomore outside hitter Ava Grevengoed also kept the pressure on both sides of the ball, banking her 11th double-double of the season. Grevengoed landed 10 kills and 12 digs on the night.
Sophomore setter Ella Strausberger led the game with 28 assists and made 9 digs while freshman Delaney Steers led the team with 25 digs. Schulze hopes the team rounds out the season in the best spot they can for postseason play.
“It has been our goal to finish off the season the best that we can,” Schulze said via text. “We can’t look back on the losses and predetermine how we approach the end of the season. We will go into tomorrow to play for the best position possible in conference and just play hard for each other and the love of the game.”
UP NEXT
The Huskies play their last game of the regular season against the Golden Flashes at 3 p.m. Saturday in Kent, Ohio. The game will be streamed on ESPN+ with live stats provided on SIDEARM Sports.
