THE NEED TO KNOWS
Saturday Semifinals: NIU (23-5, 15-1 MAC) vs TBA, 7:30 p.m.
Sunday Final: TBA vs TBA, 5:00 p.m.
 
WHAT'S HAPPENIN'
• After winning the 2015 Mid-American Conference title, the NIU volleyball team earned the right to the host the 2016 MAC Tournament. This weekend's tournament is the first championship hosted by the Huskies since 2001.
• Northern Illinois University clinched a share of the MAC Regular Season title last Saturday at Ball State, its third championship in the last six seasons.
• NIU's conference play (15-1) was its best record in MAC play under Head Coach Ray Gooden. It tied the record (set in 2001 when the Huskies went 15-3) for the most MAC wins in a season.
• This is the third-straight season that Northern Illinois University has secured a double bye into the MAC Tournament semifinals.
• Jenna Radtke was named the MAC Player of the Year on Wednesday morning, becoming the sixth NIU player to earn the honor in the last 15 years. She was named MAC West Player of the Week six times, earning the honor three times for offense and three for defense.
• Along with player of the year, Radtke and Mary Grace Kelly earned First Team All-MAC honors while teammates Meg Wolowicz and Lauren Zielinski were named to the honorable mention team.
• NIU leads the MAC (27th nationally) in blocks per set with a clip of 2.61 per set, paced by Radtke and Wolowicz's averages of 1.15 and 1.07 per set, respectively.
• Thirteen times this season, the Huskies' blocked 10-or-more attempts, led by a 20.5 block effort versus Ball State in the season finale. It was the Huskies best effort since recording 19 at Central Michigan Nov. 14, 2014.
• While the Huskies' middle blockers lead the way, Kelly leads NIU in block solos from the outside this season with 16. She's averaging 0.63 per set.
• After fixing her timing on her jump serve at the start of MAC play, Kelly served up a team-best 22 service aces in 16 conference matches.
• Radtke has led NIU in kills five out of the last eight matches, including a double-double (19 kills, 10 blocks) at Ball State on Nov. 12.
• Junior Anna Brereton averaged 5.28 digs per set in the second half of MAC play compared to 3.70 mark in the first eight matches of the season. She notched a season-high 35 digs at BSU.
• Two matches ago at Toledo, Taylor Krage registered a career-high 14 digs, leading the Huskies in that category.
• Since rejoining the MAC in 1997, the Huskies are 22-15 in tournament play, winning championships in 1997 and 2001.
• NIU has won nine conference championships since the NCAA began sponsoring volleyball in 1982, advancing to the NCAA Tournament seven times and the NIVC Tournament three times.

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