Downing Eastern Michigan on Friday during Senior Night at Chick Evans Field House, the NIU volleyball team advanced its win streak to 17 games.

Losing 3-1 to the Eagles Sept. 19 earlier this season, NIU regrouped to sweep the match.

“Eastern Michigan is a tough team to play because they are as an emotional team as we will play,” said NIU coach Todd Kress.

Despite recording a team hitting percentage in the first game of .188, the Huskies pulled out the game 30-27.

Senior outside hitter Carrie Blankenship started the first game hot, hitting .500 with 10 kills and the game-winning kill.

“People were pointing to this game because it was Senior Night, but I think it was more important to people in the fact that what this game meant to the team,” said Blankenship. “It was Senior Night, but I think because it was down the stretch of the season is what really made it important.”

In the second game, NIU pulled up its hitting percentage to .326 and held EMU to a dismal .064 percentage.

Finishing off Eastern Michigan in the second game was another senior, Sara Lein, with a menacing spike to end with a 30-18 win.

Lein, who finished the match with eight kills and a .375 hitting percentage, also recorded something that isn’t normally in her stat row: service aces.

Registering two service aces in the third game, Kress had confidence to put her in that position, which she hasn’t been placed in all year.

“It was a situation where she went in for Carrie and I didn’t want to waste a sub,” said Kress. “Sara is a 5th year senior and she can handle herself back there. When she had a healthy right knee she was a great defensive player. For her size she has great mobility and great ball-control on her serve.”

In Game 3, NIU was down 12-16, but regrouped. The Huskies pulled out a 30-28 win, sending the Eagles home earlier than expected on a Blankenship assist to middle hitter Rena Widboom for the kill.

While the Huskies are currently in first place in the Mid-American Conference, they need to win out their remaining games to host the MAC tournament.

Kress knew this coming into the match: “We have a goal out there and we still haven’t attained it and that’s what pushed us through [against EMU].”