HONOLULU, Hawai'i – The NIU volleyball team (5-3) played its first five-set match of the season Saturday afternoon, rallying back from a 2-0 deficit after the intermission. Though they led early in the fifth set, the Huskies were unable to overcome the Utah Valley Wolverines (4-6) energetic and fast style of play as NIU fell, 23-25, 17-25, 25-23, 25-21, 11-15.

Three Huskies – Mary Grace Kelly (Strongsville, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit), Jenna Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) and Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) – all finished with 10-or-more kills, paced by Kelly's 18. Radtke totaled 13 and while hitting .407 and Wolowicz rounded out the trio with 14 kills.

Registering her first career double-double was Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette), who dished a career-high 42 assists while digging out 16 attacks. She also registered three service aces. The Huskies out-blocked the Wolverines in the match, 12.5-12.0.

Northern Illinois University swung early and often, totaling 39 swings and 16 kills to lead the match in both categories in the first. The potent offense, capped by a seven-point run, lifted the Huskies to an early 14-8 advantage. However, errors proved costly for NIU as Utah Valley won in deuce, 25-23.

After a nip and tuck affair in the first 10 games, all squared 5-5, Utah Valley took control of the stanza as it limited NIU to 17 total points in the set. The Huskies improved their hitting percentage but the Wolverines physical play and 18 kills overpowered the Huskies as they took a two-set lead, 25-17.

Trailing 10-9 in the third set, NIU made its move as it led by as much as eight points in the frame to bring momentum back into its corner of the gym, 20-12. As it did in the first stanza, Utah Valley closed the gap to one point. However, a kill by Radtke ended a nine-point run and kept NIU alive as it won the set in deuce, 25-23.

The Northern Illinois University offense found its rhythm with its back against the wall and it continued that trend as Kinley controlled the passing and kept the team rolling.

The Lexington, Ky., native surpassed the 10 dig mark in the frame and also recorded a new career-high in assists during the frame as she reached the 30 assist mark for the first time ever as a Huskie. The Wolverines rallied late again but NIU quelled the comeback as it won the fourth to force its first five-set match of the season, 25-21.

NIU jumped out to a 3-0 lead but a five-point run by Utah Valley proved to be too much to overcome for NIU. Though they climbed back to within two points in the final points of the match, 13-11, the Huskies fell to the Wolverines in five, 15-11.

NIU will close its Hawai'i trip on Saturday night, squaring off against No. 6 Hawai'i at 10 p.m. Central.