DeKALB - Led by an opportunistic defense that created points in crucial situations, resulting in 50 digs and 15 total blocks, NIU volleyball (1-0) defeated DePaul (1-1) in its season-opener, 3-1. Redshirt junior Brianna Horwath (Stillwater, Minn./Stillwater Area), who missed the entire 2015 season with an injury, led the Huskies with 12 kills in the match and was one of three NIU players with 10-or-more kills. Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) registered nine blocks and 17.5 points.

Head Coach Ray Gooden has now led the Huskies to an impressive 14-1 record in NIU's season-openers, mentoring the team to nine-straight wins in season debuts.

"We knew that tonight was going to be one of the tougher opening matches we've played since I've been her because of the familiarity with the teams. I think continues to improve and does some pretty good things. They're physical and they play hard but I thought we were able to jump out with some tempo in the beginning to take the advantage," said Head Coach Ray Gooden.

The Huskies controlled the opening frame, forcing the Blue Demons to hit .000, as it won the set, 25-17, thanks to Wolowicz' and Mary Grace Kelly's (Strongsville, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) five kills each.

In the second set, NIU forced DePaul to eight attacking errors for a second-straight stanza while increasing its total to 14. The Huskies went up by six points late in the match, 21-15, but a string of errors led the Blue Demons back within a two-point reach.

Trading blows until the end, a Jenna Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) kill gave Northern Illinois University set point and an error by DePaul forced the intermission to give NIU a two-set lead, 25-23.

Each squad recorded a match-high in kills during the third frame, led by the Huskies 18, as the set went to deuce. As each team broke serve five times in the final stages, a kill by DePaul's Jasmine King gave the Blue Demon's set point and allowed Caitlyn Coffey's service ace to make it a 2-1 contest, 29-27.

Though it totaled its lowest kill amount of the match with nine, NIU recorded three service aces in the set and five blocks to stymie DePaul. Junior Taylor Krage (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) came up with a crucial service ace to give the Huskies match point as NIU clinched the match, 25-20

Horwath's 12 kills were a team-high while Radtke and Wolowicz each had 10 kills in the contest. Wolowicz amassed 17.5 points as she had a career-high nine blocks, six solos. Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) registered 18 digs and two service aces.

NIU will return to action tomorrow night at 7 p.m. for a contest versus Loyola. The NIU Invitational resumes tomorrow at 10 a.m. as the Ramblers take on Iowa.