Down 6-1 in the first game, NIU volleyball coach Ray Gooden called a timeout to stop a six-point Bradley run.

The Huskies (8-1) responded to Gooden’s words, going on a 29-11 run to close out the first game. The Huskies showed more of the same in the final two games, beating the Braves 30-11, 30-25, 30-21, Tuesday night at Victor E. Court in front of 255 people.

“We just weren’t being aggressive to the ball; the ball was playing us because we weren’t moving our feet,” said Gooden, about the beginning of the match.

The win against Bradley (2-9) capped off a nine-match home stand that saw the Huskies go 8-1 to start the season.

Tera Lobdell, the reigning MAC Player of the Week, had a team-high 18 kills.

Lobdell’s 18 kills were just 11 less than the whole Bradley team combined.

“I think we played with a lack of intensity,” Braves coach Scott Luster said. “We started off with the run, then we just lost it and our passing game broke down. Our middles have normally been our big go-to, and tonight they didn’t show it.”

NIU sophomore Marie Zidek set up Lobdell (18 kills) and junior middle blocker Megan Markowski (eight kills) en route to racking up a game-high 28 assists.

NIU tied its season high of 12 service aces in comparison to Bradley’s five. Middle blocker Corinne Walsh and outside hitter Brooke Dodson each had three aces for the Huskies.

“Ray’s girls did a nice job,” Luster added. “They kept the ball in play and they played a solid game defensively.”

The Huskies now hit the road for four matches.

“We’re feeling pretty good right now and we know what it’s like to play at home,” Lobdell said. “Now we need to have the same mentality playing at someone else’s court.”