Fresh off a five-game home stand, the NIU volleyball team will begin its three-week road trip on the east coast with the Duke Invitational this weekend.

The Huskies (2-3) begin the weekend against Towson at 4:30 p.m. today, with Saturday matches against South Carolina at 10 a.m and the finale versus Duke at 7:30 p.m.

The Huskies’ first match of the Invitational could prove to be its toughest, NIU coach Ray Gooden said. With seven seniors on the team, Towson University (3-1) looks to defend its Colonial Athletic Association title from last season after a 25-6 record and a perfect 14-0 in conference play.

“They’ve always been a successful team at winning 20-plus matches the last few years” Gooden said. “They are a very defensive-oriented team that is very efficient and very confident. That’s going to be a tough match to start off.”

With its first road matches of the year, Gooden hopes the team is prepared for adversity.

“We’ve been banged up pretty good lately,” Gooden said. “So we’ve had to modify a few things over the past couple of days so we can stay as fresh as possible. It’s going to be a lot more mentally challenging than physically right now.”

Since the tournament is being held in Durham, N.C., senior outside hitter Tera Lobdell said the team realizes it needs to stay focused and positive in a potentially hostile environment.

“When we get excited on our side, it keeps us in the game,” Lobdell said. “There won’t be many people cheering for us, so if we stick together, that’s how we’re going to stay focused.”

After a three-game sweep of the University of Illinois-Chicago on Tuesday, Gooden said the key to success over the weekend is to build on the victory with steady, error-free play every match.

“We know we are capable of playing good volleyball,” Gooden said. “It’s just a matter of being consistent, and I think our team realizes that. We’re trying to figure out how to start stringing wins together. All our opponents will be tough, and it’s just another challenge for us.”