For the first time all season, the NIU volleyball team lost in straight games at home Tuesday.

In-state rival Illinois State (9-10) beat NIU 30-25, 30-25 and 30-23.

The last time the Huskies (14-5) lost in straight games at home was Nov. 2, 2002 against Ohio.

“I guess we forgot how big of a rivalry this is and how important this match is,” NIU coach Ray Gooden said. “The toughest thing is to have a non-conference match this late in the season. [ISU has] been hungry for a win, and now they are on a roll.”

ISU had four players in double-digit kills. Freshman outside hitter Savannah Knowles led ISU with 11 kills. Staci Boyce, Maura McCarthy and Emily Kabbes all had 10 apiece.

Junior outside hitter Tera Lobdell led the Huskies with 21 kills. Freshman middle blocker Kate McCullagh was the only other NIU player with double-digit kills, with a career-high 10.

ISU coach Sharon Dingman and her team came in trying to control one aspect of the Huskies offense.

“We spent the last couple of days preparing for their outside hitters,” Dingman said. “I thought that we did a good job with that. Early on in the match, we got some touches, we got some blocks. I thought we got them a little out of sync. That’s what we focused a lot on.”

ISU’s best player, Laura Doornbos, did not play because of a sprained left ankle. She is averaging 4.07 kills per game.

Sophomore setter Marie Zidek led the Huskies with 32 assists.

“We knew that they were a good, competitive team,” Zidek said. “We knew they were a bunch of physical players who were going to hustle. We just couldn’t establish a rhythm tonight and that just got us out of sync.”

Even in the loss, Zidek saw something that the team improved on, but thought that the team was just missing something.

“I think that we did communicate pretty well in terms of who the hitters were on the other side of the net,” Zidek said. “We didn’t get that extra little spark that we usually have, so that was a big momentum changer.”