AKRON, Ohio – Junior Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) recorded 18 kills, tallied five blocks and hit .378 to help lead the Northern Illinois University volleyball team to a five-set victory, 25-22, 19-25, 25-20, 20-25, 15-11, over Akron on Saturday at Rhodes Arena.

Freshman Kaylee Martin (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) added 16 kills while senior libero Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) had 22 digs and senior setting Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) posted 47 assists. 

"In the fifth set it really just came down to being opportunistic," said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. "We had a few opportunities we took advantage of -- an overpass, turned a couple points in transition, an ace from Miranda (Karlen) -- those are the things that helped us in the short (fifth) game."

Tied at 15 in the opening set, NIU scored the next three, including kills from Wolowicz and freshman Jori Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson), to take an 18-15 lead. Akron trimmed the Huskie advantage to one before a kill from Martin and a Zips error pushed the lead back to three, 23-20. The two teams traded the final four points, finishing with a kill from Martin, as the Huskies took the opening set

Martin and Wolowicz each had six kills in the opening set, as the Huskies recorded 17 as a team, while Brereton collected five digs. NIU also had three blocks in the first set to none for Akron. 

NIU (5-18, 4-4 MAC) took a quick 5-0 lead in the second set and led 8-2 until a 12-2 run by the Zips gave Akron a four-point lead, 14-10. Akron's lead in the set grew to as much as six, 19-13, and the Zips scored three of the final four points in the set to send the match to halftime tied. 

Jessica Kloehn and Elya Karsner each has four kills to lead Akron in the second set. Brereton had seven digs in the set but the Huskies hit .000 with eight errors. 

After the intermission, the third set was even at 13 until a 6-0 burst gave NIU a 19-13 lead. Wolowicz had a kill and a block during the run while senior Taylor Krage (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) added an ace and Martin capped the run with a kill. Akron (6-14, 2-6 MAC) cut the gap in half, 23-20, but a service error by Akron, followed by an ace from freshman Miranda Karlen (Evansville, Wis./Evansville), helped NIU take the third set. 

Sophomore Brinley Milbrath (Cedar Rapids, Iowa/John F. Kennedy) provided a spark with four kills in the third set. 

The fourth set was deadlocked at nine when Akron used a 7-1 run to take a 16-10 lead. NIU clawed back to within four, 22-18, but the Zips and Huskies traded side outs in the final five points as Akron forced a fifth set. 

Kayla Gwozdz posted four kills in the set for the Zips as Akron hit .323 with 16 kills, NIU tallied just eight kills in the fourth set. 

Neither team led by more than two and the final set was even, 10-10, until a timely four-point swing gave the Huskies a 14-10 lead. Akron committed an attack error to open the run before Martin added a pair of kills and Wolwowicz finished it will a kill. The Zips saved the first match point but Martin provided a kill on the second to give NIU a 15-11 win in the set and a 3-2 victory. 

Martin and Wolowicz each had three kills in the final set while Akron had just four as a team and hit .000 in the fifth. 

Four players reached double figure kills for the Zips, led by 15 from Gwozdz and Kloehn, Karsner added 11 kills and Madi Baer chipped in 10. Taylor Sharrits tallied a match-high 25 digs for Akron. 

NIU will be back home next weekend for a pair of matches, beginning on Friday night, Oct. 20, when the Huskies welcome Ohio to DeKalb. NIU will also host Kent State on Saturday, Oct. 21, both matches will start at 7 p.m.