OXFORD, Ohio – The NIU volleyball team (19-5, 11-1 MAC) dropped its first match since Sept. 10 on Saturday night, battling in a nip and tuck affair with Miami (Ohio) (20-4, 12-0 MAC) in three sets, 22-25, 20-25, 23-25. Both Mary Grace Kelly (Strongsville, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) and Taylor Krage (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) registered double figures in kills, led by Kelly's 11.

As a team, NIU out-blocked the RedHawks, 6-5, and committed one less attacking error, 15-14, while Miami totaled 52 kills to the Huskies 44.

"It was fun to play that match. Yes, we were on the wrong side of it, but I thought it was fun to be a part of that. Coach Condit is such a class act with everything she does in that program," said Head Coach Ray Gooden. "I thought we were doing some good things, playing some good volleyball, they were just a couple steps ahead at a couple critical times and that's really the difference. I think it's a good learning thing for our group."

With temperatures near 80 degrees outside and a loud and raucous crowd of students in Halloween costumes at Millett Hall, both squads battled tenaciously, swinging hard and often on the attack as they combined for 32 kills. Miami (Ohio) led with 17 kills in the frame. Neither team led by more than four points in the set but it was the RedHawks who would claim the opening frame, 25-22.

After starting the second set in back-and-forth fashion, Miami was dominant in the middle games of the set with a seven-point lead, 18-11. However, NIU would rally back to within one point, 20-19, after four-straight kills from the quartet of Krage, Bri Horwath (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area) and Jenna Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson). The RedHawks ended the set with three-straight kills of its own to take the 2-0 lead in the match, 25-20.

Seeking to force a fourth set, the Huskies came out hot in the third as they forced Miami to take an early timeout with a 7-4 lead. After the RedHawks tied the match, 10-10, the two teams traded points until NIU claimed a 22-20 lead, forcing MU to use its second timeout. Miami University would take three of the four next points to clinch the match, 25-23.

The Huskies will return to action next weekend when they host Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan in their final home matches of the regular season Nov. 4 and 5.