With the Mid-American Conference title between NIU and Ball State, it’s down to winning a pair of road games to keep the tournament in DeKalb.

Volleyball coach Todd Kress knows that this weekend, after playing for nearly a month at home, his team will have to perform well these last two games on the road to maintain home court throughout the MAC tournament.

“It’s always tougher going on the road than playing at home,” said Kress. “It’s a different kind of mindset. We need to be mentally focused.”

The tandem of Central and Western Michigan stands in the way of NIU claiming a conference title. The Chippewas have won only one conference game, but the Broncos will have something to play for. They currently are tied for the eighth and final conference tournament berth with Kent State, so it may well come down to a win over the Huskies to make the tournament.

The Huskies have a 17-match winning streak which they have incentive to keep up. Kress said they don’t want Ball State’s name on the trophy with theirs. To ensure that, they need to win out.

A combination of one NIU win and one BSU loss ensures NIU at least a share of the conference title. A pair of wins, however, gives NIU the title outright.

“We’ve worked very hard to put us in this position,” said the third year NIU coach. “Now we just need to capitalize in the position that we’re in and take care of business.”

The Huskies have played at home for nine of 10 matches and have won them all, showing their home court dominance. However, winning these two on the road will be the difference between spending another weekend at home or traveling again.

“I think it’s very important for us, especially with the games on the road, and we’ve been at home for five weeks in a row,” said junior outside hitter Tenisha Wilkins. “We need to stay focused and take care of business.”