DeKALB - The NIU volleyball team (9-4, 1-0 MAC) won its Mid-American Conference opener Thursday night versus Western Michigan Thursday night, downing the Broncos (5-9, 0-1 MAC) in four sets, 23-25, 25-13, 25-15, 25-19. The Huskies totaled eight blocks, a season-high 10 service aces and a season-best .349 hitting percentage.

Four different Huskies recorded multiple service aces, led by Anna Brereton's (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) three in the contest. three different Huskies also notched 10-or-more kills as Mary Grace Kelly (Strongsville, Ohio/Walsh Jesuit) paced the team with 14. Taylor Krage (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) and Jenna Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) each finished with 10 kills.

Head Coach Ray Gooden, who was honored during pregame for becoming the program's all-time leader in wins versus Bradley on Sept. 2, was pleased with the team's ability to overcoming the adversity of a first set loss.

"I thought there was a nervous energy to start the match because it was conference for both sides so the volleyball wasn't as clean but it was good to see them settle things down, play better volleyball and do a good job of defending home," Gooden said. "We have so much respect for Western Michigan and what they do so records don't matter. We knew they were going to come out and give us a lot of energy and they did and I thought we did a good job of overcoming that and playing steady volleyball."

The Huskies and Broncos traded blows in the first set until WMU broke away to take a 20-14 lead. NIU then followed up with a five-point resurgence to claw back within one point, 20-19. Both teams slugged it out until the end, tying it back up, 23-23, but Western Michigan's Quiana Ware recorded back-to-back kills to take the set in deuce, 25-23.

Trailing 5-4 in the second set and Radtke starting her service rotation, NIU rattled off eight points to take a 12-5 lead as the Broncos committed four attacking errors. The rally was enough for the Huskies to control the rest of the momentum in the frame, totaling 15 kills and a hitting percentage of .355 to even the match, 25-13.

That same momentum the Huskies had in the second frame carried through the intermission as NIU again won by a double-digit margin, 25-15, this time hitting .429 with 18 kills. Radtke's four kills - two following a poor return by the Western Michigan's back row - led NIU in the stanza.

Though the final set was tight, the Huskies only trailed after the opening point as Krage's service put the Huskies in front 6-1 to start the set. A trio of Huskies - Kelly, Krage and Radtke - notched four kills in the frame to power the NIU attack to a 25-19 clincher.

Northern Illinois University's offense has hit over .300 in three of the last four matches, aided by Radtke who has not hit lower than .400 individually in her last four outings.

Overall, NIU led in digs (52-51), blocks (8-5), kills (56-47) and aces (10-4) in the match.

The Huskies will close the weekend Saturday, hosting Bowling Green at 7 p.m.