THE NEED TO KNOWS
Breast Cancer Awareness Weekend
DeKalb, Ill. (Victor E. Court)
Friday: NIU (14-4, 6-0 MAC) vs Buffalo (2-17, 1-5 MAC)
Saturday: NIU (14-4, 6-0 MAC) vs Akron (5-13, 0-6 MAC)

WHAT'S HAPPENIN'
• Northern Illinois University will close a four-match homestand when it hosts Buffalo and Akron at Victor E. Court for Breast Cancer Awareness weekend. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to the matches.
• The NIU volleyball team is seeking its first winning streak of 10-or-more matches since 2011 on Friday night versus the Bulls. The program has reached the plateau 10 times in its storied history.
• Mary Grace Kelly and Jenna Radtke swept Mid-American Conference West Division Player of the Week honors on Monday, marking three straight weeks the Huskies have accomplished the feat.
• Kelly averaged 3.88 kills per set and 4.94 points per set, posting a .370 hitting percentage to earn her first career player of the week award. Radtke blocked 1.12 attacks per set while hitting .400 with 3.00 kills per set to repeat as the MAC West's Defensive Player of the Week.
• With a 14-4 record through 18 matches, NIU is seeking its 15th win of the season this weekend. The 2016 Huskies could become the fifth-fastest team to reach the 15-win mark in program history on Friday versus the Bulls.
• Ten times this season, NIU has notched 10-or-more blocks in a match. The Huskies are 32nd nationally and No. 1 in the MAC in blocks per set with a clip of 2.63.
• Both Jenna Radtke and Meg Wolowicz rank in the top-150 nationally in blocks per set, led by Wolowicz's 1.18 clip (118th) while Radtke is averaging 1.06 per set (150th).
• Anna Brereton moved up to No. 10 all-time at NIU in digs per set with her 28 digs last weekend against Ball State and Toledo. The junior has recorded 1,172 digs in 79 matches. Her career average of 4.07 digs per set ranks her fourth in the NIU annals.
• The Huskies posted a +15 service ace margin versus the Cardinals and Rockets as NIU totaled 19 total aces, led by Mary Grace Kelly's and Jenna Radtke's six-ace weekend. Radtke served a career-high five aces against BSU while Kelly registered a career-high four against Toledo.
• NIU hit a season-best .402 on Friday night against Ball State, the first time since Oct. 31, 2015 that NIU hit .400-or-better in a match.
• The Huskies won in five sets at Buffalo in 2015 and were led by Lauren Zielinski's monster effort. The Oak Forest native recorded 27 kills and hit .510 in the match to aid in NIU's triumph over the Bulls, earning MAC West Offensive Player of the Week honors at the conclusion of the weekend.
• Northern Illinois University is coming off its longest match of the season versus Toledo (2:41).

UP NEXT
• Northern Illinois University will hit the road next weekend for a crossover weekend at Ohio and Kent State.
• NIU went 1-1 versus the Bobcats last season, sweeping them in straight sets on Homecoming but falling in last season's MAC Tournament Championship.
• The Huskies dropped a four-set contest to the Golden Flashes at home in 2015.