Nov. 21, 2008

Final Stats

Miami 3, NIU 2 Final Box

Toledo, Ohio - The Northern Illinois volleyball team took last year's Mid-American Conference champions to a fifth set in the quarterfinals of the MAC Tournament, but could not come away with the upset as they fell 15-6 the third-seeded RedHawks (19-10) hit .375 to sixth-seeded NIU's (18-14) .087 behind Hallie Hanks' five kills in the deciding set.

"It's disappointing for us that the match ended the way it did because of our incredible level of effort in the first four sets," said NIU head coach Ray Gooden.

Despite Miami's 27 attack errors to NIU's 20, the RedHawks out killed the Huskies 71 to 58 as MU totaled four players with 10 or more kills, led by Emily Schroeder's 17.

"The main difference was just winning critical points," said Gooden. "We won really big points in sets one and three, but we were unable to do that in the last two sets."

Senior Irene Johnson (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg) led the Huskies with 17 kills with a .410 attack percentage and junior Cassie Yates (LaPorte, Ind./LaPorte) and junior Meagan Schoenrock (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview) each had 13. Junior Amanda Tadla (Oak Lawn, Ill./Oak Lawn) recorded 29 assists for the Huskie offense and sophomore Maddie Hughes (St. Charles, Ill./North) led the defense with 22 digs.

"I thought that our team on the whole played really well," Gooden said. "Statistically, Irene had nearly a career-night. Katie Walsh did a good job of blocking. Maria Benitez did a good job too in a specialty role. She came in and served some good points as did Jody Hardwick."

With the score tied 14-14 in the first set, the Huskies ran off three straight points behind a block from senior Katie Walsh (St. Charles, Ill./North) and freshman Allison McGlaughlin (Morton, Ill./Morton), a kill from McGlaughlin and an attack error by Emily Schroeder. NIU then led 21-17 after a kill from junior Meagan Schoenrock (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview), but Miami rallied back to get within one, 21-20, following a kill from Schroeder. A block from Schoenrock put the Huskies up 22-20 and then three RedHawk errors gave NIU the 1-0 advantage in the match as NIU outhit Miami .391 to .094 with two attack errors to MU's 11.

After the two teams were tied 7-7 in the second set, the RedHawks went up 12-8 behind a pair of kills from Michele Metzler. Then with MU up 19-15, the Huskies went on a 6-2 run to close within one point behind three kills from Schoenrock and two from senior Irene Johnson (Schaumburg, Ill./Schaumburg), but Miami followed with a kill from Megan Griffin and then an attack error by McGlaughlin gave the RedHawks a chance for set point, 24-21. Walsh notched a kill on the following rally, but Andrea Atteberry's dump on the next play tied the match at the break as MU outhit NIU .342 to .250.

In the third set, the Huskies fell behind 10-5, but came back and tied it at 12-12 behind three kills from Yates and then took the lead after an attack error by Schroeder. Miami tied it on the next play following a kill from Metzler and the teams went back and forth until NIU opened a two point margin, 19-17, behind a pair of MU attack errors. The Huskies held the lead and set up set point, 24-22, after Johnson's seventh kill of the set. Schroeder then countered with her own kill, but a block from Walsh and Schoenrock on the next rally gave the Huskies a 2-1 lead in the match.

With NIU up 14-11 in the four set, Miami rallied back to take a 19-15 lead behind three kills and an ace from Maria Leahy. The Huskies closed within one point, 19-18, following a Schroeder attack error, but the RedHawks ended the set on a 6-0 run with two kills from Griffin as MU outhit NIU .231 to .150.

The Huskies were down 8-4 at the switch in the fifth set and from there Miami ended the match on a 7-2 run as Hanks notched four kills during the spurt.