MILWAUKEE | Usually the NIU volleyball team is relaxing during Thanksgiving weekend, having completed the season the previous weekend.

This year, however, the Huskies traveled across the border to Milwaukee on Saturday to take on Marquette University.

Whether it was turkey hangover or more likely Marquette’s blocking efforts, the Huskies (27-8 overall, 11-5 MAC) fell in their first four-set loss to the Golden Eagles (23-9, 11-3 Big East).

“This was our first opportunity to play post-tournament so my concerns were not giving a good effort and not taking advantage of our opportunity to play against a solid team,” said Ray Gooden, NIU’s ninth-year head coach.

The Huskies began slowly, going down 5-0 before getting their first point off a kill by MAC Player of the Year Lauren Wicinski. After losing 25-23 in the first set, the Huskies battled in the second to an extra-point shootout. A set with 11 tie scores eventually tipped NIU’s way resulting in a 30-28 victory.

“We did start a little slow,” said middle blocker Mary Kurisch. “We realized when we fought at the end of the first game as long as we come out fighting from the beginning that we can handle it. We buckled down and thought as a team we have to play for each other.”

Gooden believed the team competed well, but missed opportunities to score. The 18 block assists and three solo blocks put on by the Golden Eagles stifled the attack of the Huskies.

“Teams have their strengths … We’ve been a team high in kills,” Gooden said. “Tonight we really didn’t have that.”

Throughout the match, the Golden Eagles increased their number of service errors, tallying 16 in total.

“We figured if we could serve tough enough to break them out of system that we could put up a good block against their outside hitters,” Marquette head coach Bond Shymansky said. “We really faltered at the service line.”

Freshman middle blocker Sarah Angelos led the Huskies with 15 kills, a .636 hitting percentage and 3 block assists.

“Sarah did really well and has been getting great throughout the season,” Kurisch said. “We really need to depend on her.”