WASHINGTON, D.C. - Despite logging plenty of frequent flyer miles within the last week, the NIU volleyball team (7-4) appeared unfazed in its first day of the GW Invitational, defeating James Madison (7-3) and Tennessee (7-3) in straight sets.

NIU opened the tournament against James Madison in the morning session of the GW Invitational, winning in three sets, 25-19, 25-13, 25-16. Statistically, the Huskies controlled the game from start to finish as it led the Dukes in all categories.

The Huskies outhit JMU by over 200 points in the contest as they only committed a mere eight attacking errors with a hitting percentage of .312. Taylor Krage (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) paced the Huskies in with nine kills and 10.5 points as she added a service ace and a block assist.

After a tight first set, 25-19, Northern Illinois University controlled the last two sets, 25-13 and 25-16. Tied 8-8 in the second stanza, NIU finished the frame on a 17-5 run that included a 5-0 run to finish the set in which Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) recorded two aces.

The Huskies high octane play continued in the final frame as it opened the match on a 10-2 run that continued to 13-3 lead despite a James Madison timeout. Both teams recorded game-highs in attacks in the set, combining for 76 attacks with JMU leading the way at 41, as each team dug out the opposition's attempts.

Defensively, NIU out-blocked the Dukes, 8-2, as Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) led the Huskies with five block assists. Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) recorded her second double-double of the season with 11 digs, NIU's match-high, and 11 assists.