Sometimes life mirrors “The Simpsons,” or maybe it’s that sometimes “The Simpsons” mirror life.

Like when Bart and Lisa faced off in Pee Wee Hockey, NIU will host a sibling match up as NIU setter Jenny Dziubla will face older sister Kristin.

The Huskies (11-13) will play their final non-conference game against the Illinois State Redbirds (13-7) at 7 p.m. on Victor E. Court today.

Jenny isn’t worried about facing off against her sister; in fact, she’s eager for the encounter.

“I played with her in high school for three years,” Dziubla said. “It should be fun. I’m excited.”

NIU coach Ray Gooden has a lot of experience with the Dziubla family. Gooden helped coach the sisters through club volleyball.

“It’s going to be a funny one because I know these two and how they reacted with each other,” Gooden said. “It will be interesting how the two sisters will play against each other and how the family reacts.”

Although it’s an interesting note to have siblings on opposite sides of the floor, the team is focused on earning a victory and ending its home stand on a positive note.

Gooden believes the Huskies will have to keep control of the ball, and limit the touches of the Redbirds in order to be successful.

“We’ve got to work hard on serving them aggressively,” the fourth-year coach said. “They can easily have five players in double-digit kills.”

Middle blocker Corinne Walsh stressed the importance of winning the match over ISU, even if it isn’t a MAC opponent.

“Even though it’s non-conference, it’s really important for us to win,” Walsh said. “It will help to give us good momentum and confidence going into the weekend.”

The Huskies will have to defend against momentum, as the Redbirds are coming off weekend wins over Drake and Creighton.

Walsh believes it’s just a question of whether the team can concentrate on the goal at hand.

“We have to focus on executing our plays like we did in game one against Ohio,” the senior middle blocker said. “We have to stay consistent to stop them from getting momentum and running away with the game.”

Gooden agrees consistency is the key to success not only for this match but for the rest of the season.

“We don’t go into matches defeated,” Gooden said. “We just have to believe in [consistency] and stay focused; it’s part of growth.”

Jenny Dziubla knows the Huskies need to be consistent in order to be triumphant. To her, the Huskies need to learn to block out distractions and be alert at all times.

“We just have to focus on what we’re doing and communicating when things go wrong,” the Elgin native said. “We need to pick up each other when things go wrong.”