While every other senior on 2012’s volleyball roster stepped away from the program after last season’s end, Sam Grams remained.Grams became the first graduate assistant to perform under coach Ray Gooden in his 12 years with NIU.Gooden was in need...
Coming off a solid 2-1 showing in the NIU Invitational, volleyball matched up at home against Missouri State Monday.After taking the first set, NIU (2-2) struggled to find consistency and lost the match in four sets, 22-25, 25-18, 25-13, 25-23.Junior...
After a season filled with ups and downs, volleyball is ready to kick off what might be another roller coaster ride.Ending on a disappointing loss in last season’s MAC Championship match, NIU looks to start out strong at home against some of the toughest...
NFL opening kickoff is just eight days away, which means millions of people around the country are about to stare at their televisions, binge drink and increase their risk of having a heart attack every Sunday.Plenty of us risk our wellbeing for the sake...
Over the past three seasons, volleyball has confirmed itself to be a powerhouse in the MAC under the coaching of Ray Gooden.Gooden has been the equivalent of a well-aged scotch: His product undeniably improves with each passing year.Last season, his product,...
Summer break gives students the opportunity to get away from school to work, play and travel. For volleyball players Alexis Gonzalez and Lauren Zielinski, summer was the perfect time to do all three.Gonzalez and Zielinski were given the opportunity to...
NIU men’s tennis will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich. Friday to open up its MAC play against Western Michigan (11-7, 1-0 MAC).
Western Michigan won the MAC Tournament from 2006 to 2010, but lost in the semifinals last season to eventual champion Ball State. NIU coach Patrick Fisher is familiar with Western Michigan’s success and knows first-hand how tough the Broncos are; he’s never beaten them in his tenure at NIU.
“Everyone in their lineup is a threat,” Fisher said. “They’ve won the league and gone to the tournament, I would say, seven or eight times out of the last 10. They are the team to beat. They are the class of the league. I think in a lot of ways they’ve been like the Akron of men’s soccer; no one really can beat them on a regular basis.”
The Huskies (14-5) have not matched the Broncos’ success over the past few seasons, but have steadily improved in each campaign.
This season has gone exceptionally well for NIU, already accumulating its most team wins since its 16-win 2002-03 showing with nine matches still scheduled.
The Huskies have made it clear they are ready to be the new breed of the MAC, and with a lineup capable of putting up 14 wins without two-time All-MAC performer Maksym Bartiuk, the once-tested depth of the lineup seems to no longer be a problem.
“We’ve had to deal with an unhealthy lineup this whole year,” Fisher said. “Regardless of where we are at, we still feel we have a good chance to win. We’ve won a lot already without having guys in the lineup at certain times this year.”
Fisher said his current roster has what it takes to avenge last season’s 6-1 loss to the Broncos.
“We’re really excited,” Fisher said. “We’re probably in the best shape going into the conference play in the last four or five years. Obviously, we’ve won a lot and our guys have some great confidence right now. Except for a couple matches, we’ve been in position to win every single match and I don’t see that changing this week.”
The time has come for NIU volleyball to show up when it matters most. The two seasons prior to this year, NIU (19-13, 10-6 MAC) made it to the MAC Championship game with ease, only to fail in its quest to be the best of the MAC. This year, as a fourth...
A trying conference season for NIU volleyball ends this weekend with two of the toughest matches of the year. The Huskies (18-12, 9-5 MAC) sit in second place in the MAC West behind only Western Michigan (18-9, 11-3), who they face off against in Kalamazoo,...
Freshmen are not known to have immediate success at the college level. For NIU wrestling, however, freshmen have been making names for themselves early on this season. After five true freshmen won matches at the opening wrestle-offs, coach Ryan Ludwig...
After an eight-month offseason, NIU wrestling finally had the chance to face competition Saturday at the Eastern Michigan Open. The Huskies looked strong in their return to the mats, with 13 grapplers placing in the event. While eight of NIU’s placewinners...
After splitting its two home matches last weekend, NIU volleyball knew what it had to get the job done on the road. The Huskies (18-12, 9-5 MAC) did just that, sweeping Toledo (8-19, 2-12) and downing Ball State (13-14, 6-8) 3-1. NIU opened strong against...
