You could feel the humidity.

And you could feel the heat.

The Huskies were on fire on the volleyball court Tuesday night.

It has been nearly a year since the NIU volleyball squad has entertained the fans, and they certainly reminded them of what they were missing.

The Bradley Braves, if they would have known now what they could’ve known then, would’ve turned and headed back to Peoria.

5-8, 15-7, 15-2.

And don’t worry, the bus is still warm.

Goose bumps were commonly felt among the witnesses who were given a clinic in the sauna-like Chick Evans Field House. But coach Pete Waite’s team barely broke a sweat as they scorched the Braves.

“They’ve wanted to show how far they’ve come,” Waite supported, “and they showed how hard they worked.”

Clearly evident.

Amy Foulke—nine kills, three blocks.

Shelby Snyder—26 assists, eight digs.

Kori Schauer—eight kills.

Becky Ramsey—eight digs.

And the list goes on.

This was the first of a three-match homestand, the longest of the year. But, more importantly, the home opener. It was time to discover what kind of following these winning Huskies had. Waite was more than pleased with the turnout.

“This might have been the biggest crowd we’ve ever had,” he admitted. “This was definitely the most vocal crowd (ever) here.”

The Huskies were dominant in every aspect of the match. The worst they were down in the scoring was 2-0 in the second game. Also, to begin the third, they blasted out to a 10-0 advantage and walked the victory home.

“Our program is a little bit ahead of Bradley’s,” Waite modestly said.

As far as the quality of play exhibited by the Huskies, Waite was once again blatantly honest.

“This is how this team (Huskies) plays,” he affirmed.

With the consistency the ladies presented in their awesome spectacle of power apparent, each opponent will be forewarned before they enter the hotbed of success these NIU volleyball women are experiencing every time they step onto the court.