DeKALB | No offense can prosper when the defense is capable of blocking it.

And with 13.5 total team blocks in Tuesday’s game, IPFW was capable of doing just that to the NIU volleyball team.

“They did a good job with the block and they were put in the right spot,” NIU coach Ray Gooden said. “They did a really good job scoring points with the block.”

Despite having four players with double-digit kills, the Huskies couldn’t penetrate the defense enough for a victory.

In the Mastodon’s three wins, they posted 10.5 of the blocks, including a 5.5 block performance in the fourth game. Senior middle blocker Claire Jackson led the way for IPFW with one solo block and five assisted blocks.

“They made the hitters work,” sophomore middle blocker Katie Walsh said. “We had to think about our shots and we had to think smart. We were calling out shots and some worked, some didn’t.”

The blocks mark the second-highest total that NIU has allowed this season. No. 20 ranked Connecticut posted 14 total blocks against NIU in their match in September.

Andrew Hansen is an NIU volleyball beat reporter for the Northern Star.