The NIU volleyball team will search for redemption on Victor E. Court today at 7 p.m.

The Huskies (12-15 Overall, 4-8 MAC) are in a four-game conference skid in which they have lost two five-game matches and been swept twice.

“We were working a lot in practice on different things which have not been helping us in the MAC,” outside hitter Laura Baetzel said. “So we’ve been working on serving aggressively and trying to run an offense where more of our hitters are able to score instead of depending on Kate [McCullagh] or Corinne [Walsh].”

The Huskies will try these new tactics tonight as they take on Western Michigan (15-8, 8-5). NIU almost beat the Broncos’ earlier this season, as the Huskies had a 2-0 game lead in the last meeting, but dropped three games straight.

In order for the Huskies to be successful tonight, they will have to take control of the match from the first serve.

“I think [coming out strong] is very important so they know that last time wasn’t a fluke that we played so well,” freshman setter Jenny Dziubla said. “They need to know that we can play well and that we will play with them the whole match.”

Another problem the Huskies will address, in order to produce their first conference win in more than two weeks, is the ability to close games.

“We’ve been playing well, we just have to make plays at the end to finish,” Dziubla said. “I think we need to just finish our games.”

Coach Ray Gooden knows teams have been playing more intense as the MAC tournament approaches.

Knowing this, Gooden believes his players have to look inside themselves to achieve a greater intensity.

“Sometimes it’s a matter of picking it up to another level,” Gooden said. “Some teams are able to do it, and that’s what we have to do.”

Baetzel knows this intensity is needed and will look to display it tonight on the court.

“We have to have an attitude throughout the whole games, especially since we’re at home,” said the Chicago native. “If we give Western any type of lead they’ll run away with the game.”

One player displaying this attitude will not be enough for Gooden though, as the fourth-year coach hopes to have four attackers with double-digit kills.

“We need to have that output from our attackers,” Gooden said. “All of our hitters need to set it up to beat Western Michigan, it cannot just be one person.”

This game has extra importance for the Huskies as they sit on the edge of earning a first-round home game for the MAC tournament.

If the MAC tournament started today, NIU would be seeded No. 9 and would have to travel to face No. 8 Kent State.

“We’re dying for a win right now,” Baetzel said. “We need all the wins we can get right now so we can be home for the MAC tournament.