Most NIU students’ education ends for the week sometime on Friday.

For the NIU volleyball team, its education continued through Friday and into Saturday night in its first two games of the season.

Five of the team’s 14 players played their first collegiate game this weekend.

For these five freshmen, conquering their nerves was the first lesson of their first class of Volleyball 101.

“Who wouldn’t be nervous?” middle blocker Joelle Beisel said about playing her first game Friday night at Illinois-Chicago. “I had jitters – it was my first college match.”

Freshman setter Jenny Dziubla’s nerves set in while she waited for the game to start.

“But then getting on the court with my teammates – I was fine,” she said. “It was just fun to play.”

Learning how to communicate effectively was another lesson the team learned from this weekend.

“The difference between tonight and last night is unbelievable,” Dziubla said after Saturday’s loss. “[Our communication] is getting better every point.”

While coach Ray Gooden believes that the team is communicating at an “OK level,” he is happy with the way his team has progressed in its first two games.

Beisel agreed with Gooden.

“The team chemistry is great,” Beisel added.

Everyone took home an individual lesson from the weekend’s games.

“I learned to communicate and rely on your teammates when things are not going well,” Dziubla said.

“I learned to be more confident, and that being a freshman doesn’t mean I can’t step up and make points,” Beisel said.

When commenting on the difference between the team’s victory Friday night and the loss Saturday, Gooden pointed out, “Northern Iowa was able to [play at a high level] longer tonight, just like we were able to do it to UIC last night.”