NIU volleyball will host a pair of MAC East foes this Friday and Saturday, going up against Kent State and Ohio.

The Huskies will try and extend their current five-match winning streak against the Golden Flashes and Bobcats.

To kick off the weekend homestand, the Huskies (17-5, 6-2 MAC) will face Kent State (8-15, 1-7) Friday with a “Pink Out”. Fans are encouraged to wear pink, or they can donate $5 to Colleges Against Cancer and receive a pink Huskie T-shirt while supplies last.

The slumping Golden Flashes have dropped nine of their last 10 matches, with their only win against Buffalo on Oct. 7 in five sets.

Kent State’s road record this season is 4-2, which includes a lone conference win.

“Kent State’s a team that, when consistent, can do some really good things,” said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. “We have to do our best to keep them out of system. We’re working really hard on our serving and our passing so that we can have as much control as we possibly can have.”

Gooden knows how good Kent State looks on tape. Gooden had success countering Kent State’s strong suits during his time at NIU, as the team won the last four meetings. NIU holds the all-time series lead with a 24-6 advantage and beat Kent State on the road in five sets last season.

NIU senior Allison McGlaughlin has a chance to record her 1,000th career dig against the Golden Flashes. The feat would make her the ninth Huskie in history to have 1,000 kills and digs in her career.

“[Allison] is definitely deserving of the recognition,” Gooden said. “She’s invested four years of her life here and made some significant contributions. So I think it’s great for her to be recognized. It is by her own doing, her own effort, that she has achieved it.”

Saturday’s match against Ohio (15-7, 7-1) will be the first meeting for the teams since NIU fell to the Bobcats in the MAC Championship.

Ohio is on the opposite end of the spectrum in regard to Kent State, winning nine of its last 10 matches. NIU defeated Ohio early last season to snap a 10-match losing streak against them.

Despite last year’s crushing loss in the MAC championship, the Huskies will enter the weekend with the same demeanor.

“This match means as much to us as any other MAC match right now,” Gooden said. “It’s going to be a big battle. People use some history with us being in the championship last year and Ohio always being a top team in our conference for the past 10 years. So from a crowd standpoint, there will be a lot of energy for it. We know they are the best in the East, and we are trying to do our best right now to beat those teams.”