Volleyball (16-8, 9-1 MAC) split its weekend pair against Kent State and Ohio, losing in conference play for the first time in 10 games.

The Huskies started the weekend off on a high note, taking down the Kent State Golden Flashes (11-11, 3-6 MAC) in four sets. The Golden Flashes went into the match undefeated on their home floor. Saturday, the Huskies were swept by the Ohio Bobcats (17-4, 10-0 MAC), marking NIU’s first loss in conference play and its first loss since Sept. 20 against UC Santa Barbara.

“We give a lot of credit to Ohio,” said head coach Ray Gooden. “They really came out and put a tremendous amount of pressure on us from the beginning to where it was tough for us to overcome that in the first set.”

Kent State

Friday, NIU took down the Golden Flashes behind a .307 attack percentage at the Memorial Athletic and Convocation Center.

The opening set was a close one; neither Kent State nor NIU grew a lead beyond two points, and the set featured 14 ties and six lead changes. The Huskies held on for a 25-20 win.

NIU limited 6-6 senior middle blocker Liz Reikow, the MAC’s leading blocker, to eight kills, two blocks and a .190 attack percentage in the match

“We just had to swing fast against her, and we did a good job of that,” said Lauren Zielinski, redshirt sophomore middle blocker. “Swinging around her, trying to go around the pin hitters instead of hitting it to her, and … our middles did a really good job of just keeping her out of the game.”

The second set didn’t go the Golden Flashes’ way, either, as they never led. It was the first time the Flashes faced a 2-0 deficit at home this season.

Kent State battled back in the back-and fourth third set, winning 31-29.

Tinuke Aderemi-Ibitola, Golden Flashes senior outside hitter, collected a career-high 24 kills in a losing effort.

Three Huskies reached double figures in kills with senior outside hitter Mackenzie Roddy notching a team-high 22 kills.

Ohio

In a battle of unbeaten teams, NIU came up on the losing side for the first time in more than a month.

“We have a lot to learn from this game. … We’ve done a great job so far. Now, we just need to grow from this, and now we know what we need to work on,” said sophomore defensive specialist Paige Dacanay. “Although it’s a loss, we learned a lot and I think we can get a lot better from this weekend.”

Dacanay finished the bout with 11 digs and was one of three Huskies with double-digit digs along with sophomore outside hitter T’ara Austin (10) and freshman libero Anna Brereton (12).

Thanks in big part to a Bobcats’ 17-6 run in the opening frame, Ohio managed to come out on top during the first set, 25-17, despite a late 8-3 NIU surge.

NIU failed again to get its offense rolling early in the second set, falling in a 14-6 hole. NIU put up another late fight, tying the match at 20-20, but it couldn’t finish the set, losing 25-22.

Ohio’s .469 attack percentage in the third set keyed a 25-17 win for a 3-0 sweep of the Huskies. Junior Abby Gilleland, who was named the 2013 MAC Player of the Year, finished with 32 assists.

“They come at your from all different spots,” Gooden said. “It’s all about their setter. Their setter does a really good job and helps keep their opponents kind of guessing. … All that being said, I think we have the ability to play as well as those guys, but we just needed to show it consistently.”