Eighty-one. In the final five matches of the season, NIU volleyball’s Tera Lobdell needs that many kills to become the all-time leader in the MAC.

Facing Ohio at 7 p.m. today at Victor E. Court, Lobdell ranks second only to Ball State’s Megan Hammons, who racked up 1,827 kills from 1998-2001.

At Lobdell’s rate of 5.59 kills per game, she would break Hammons’ mark in the final match of the season -if not sooner. If each of the five matches remaining in the regular season went the minimum of three games, she would get 84 kills.

But Lobdell’s all-out assault on the record books this season will not be nearly as great if her team does not succeed along with her, NIU coach Ray Gooden said.

NIU (9-17 overall, 4-7 MAC) needs to make all of its last five matches count, Gooden said.

“If we can defend our home court and give some good efforts, we can go 5-0,” said Gooden, whose team plays the rest of its regular season games at home. “Then we would be 9-7 and in a whole different position in our conference.”

To get in that better position, the Huskies will have to try and take down Ohio, the only undefeated team in the MAC.

The Bobcats (20-2, 12-0) will come into DeKalb not only looking to stay unbeaten in conference, but also try for its third MAC East Division crown in as many years.

Led by last week’s MAC player of the week, setter Briana Adamovsky, Ohio is the best defensive team in the MAC – holding opponents to a .119 hitting percentage.

For Gooden, this is not a “moral victory” kind of match. He expects a win from his team and for its best effort.

“A conference match is a conference match no matter who you play against,” Gooden said. “At times, we play pretty good volleyball. But to be successful, you can’t just play good at times. You have to do it consistently, and that is something we need to start doing.”