After blowing a two-game lead and losing 3-2 to Buffalo on Nov. 1, the NIU volleyball team will get another chance in the first round of the MAC Tournament.

The Huskies will face Buffalo at 7 p.m. today at Victor E. Court. NIU is the No. 6 seed, while Buffalo comes in as the No. 11 seed.

“We’re happy to be playing at home,” NIU volleyball coach Ray Gooden said. “It’s nice to get a chance to play Buffalo, a team that we have played recently, so they are pretty fresh in our minds. I think that’s an advantage for us.”

The Huskies didn’t make the MAC Tournament last season when they lost a “win or go home” match against Western Michigan. NIU lost the match in five games.

Buffalo is led by middle blocker Katie Weekley (1.51 blocks per game, 2.27 kills per game) and outside hitter Lindsay Matikosh (3.00 digs per game, 3.52 kpg).

The Huskies’ game plan is to use hard serving and low errors to help offset Buffalo’s strengths, Gooden said.

“Buffalo is coming in with a nothing-to-lose attitude,” Gooden said. “That is how they attacked all their matches this year. We have to keep their opportunities to a minimum.”

The winner of the matchup will travel to Ball State for a Friday afternoon match against Akron.

NIU players Corinne Walsh, Megan Markowski and Kate McCullagh all average more than 1.03 blocks per game.

Junior Tera Lobdell needs 15 kills to break NIU’s single-season kills record. Lobdell and Brooke Dodson lead the Huskies in kills per game with averages of 4.32 and 3.27 kpg, respectively.

“It doesn’t matter who we play,” Dodson said. “When we play as a team and we are focused, we play better than when we’re playing emotionally.”