“Positive” is one word Ray Gooden uses to describe the 2010 NIU volleyball season.

The ninth year head coach has had some memorable moments, but this season provided more than just a few to his list.

“The record and our ability to make it to the MAC Championship are things for our program to build upon,” Gooden said. “But it’s not just the record. It’s more the team’s commitment to giving their best.”

Before the season, Gooden was confident of the team’s success if it did not beat itself. The Huskies finished 27-8, a record last match by the 1996 squad.

Pulling an 11-5 record in the MAC, the Huskies found themselves third in the West behind Ball State (25-4 overall, 14-2 MAC) and Western Michigan (22-9, 12-4).

But the team played when it mattered most, playing in the MAC Championship against Ohio (21-11, 10-6). Though the Huskies were defeated, the experience was most meaningful, allowing the young team to cap the historical season.

“Being in the championship everyone wants to win, but being there, playing in the game is something we haven’t done for a long time,” senior libero Maddie Hughes said. “After the match seeing [Ohio] get that bid to the [NCAA] tournament really makes you want to try harder.”

Individual achievements were aplenty this season, especially for freshman outside hitter Lauren Wicinski. Wicinski tallied 636 kills, 71 aces and 5.62 points per set, nationally ranking her sixth, tenth and fifth, respectively.

“She’s one of the most accomplished players to come in, and she definitely lived up to being an All-American [high school player],” Hughes said of Wicinski. “She’s easily the best player in our conference and made our program better because of it.”

Wicinski made history when she took home both Freshman and MAC Player of the Year awards. In the conference’s 30-year history, never before has a freshman taken home both accolades.

Junior setter Kristin Hoffman earned a spot among the MAC first-team all-conference players. Most recently, she was honored for success off the court. On Tuesday, she became the first Huskie to be named an ESPN Academic All-American.

“The mission of the student-athlete is to be a champion both on the court and in the classroom,” Gooden said. “Kristin does define that…she’s always been committed to excellence in the classroom.”

Hughes was awarded a slot on the all-conference second-team for her defensive efforts. In her final season, Hughes dug 597 balls to lead the team and put her at 2,226 for her career, ranking second in the team’s history books. This year in particular, however, Gooden was proudest of Hughes’ leadership.

“She’s part of our improvement,” he said. “Her leadership was an improvement to where she helped our players get better. That was the biggest thing.”

At the beginning of the season, Hughes talked about wanting her team to have confidence and to feel respected within the conference.

“I finally feel leaving the program, we are,” Hughes said. “This has definitely been the most successful season…everyone played hard for each other, and that’s why we were so successful. It’s been fun on and off the court, and I couldn’t have asked for a better team my senior year.”