DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team begins a stretch of four-straight road matches this weekend as the Huskies travel to Toledo and Ball State. NIU will visit Toledo on Friday, Oct. 6 at 6 p.m. CT, before closing its first round of matches against the MAC West Division on Saturday, Oct. 7, as it meets Ball State. 

NIU (2-17, 1-3 MAC) is coming off a weekend split at home against Eastern Michigan and Central Michigan last weekend. Junior Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) posted 29 kills and 15 total blocks for the weekend and currently ranks in the top-five in the MAC in blocks. 

Through the first two weeks on conference play, freshman Kaylee Martin (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) leads the MAC in kills at 4.93 per set, Martin is 0.76 kills ahead of second-place Ellie Dunn of Ball State. Martin also leads the league in points at 5.36 per set. Overall this season, Martin ranks sixth in the MAC in kills (3.52/set) and ninth in points (3.78/set).

Freshman Jori Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) posted a career-best 11 kills in NIU's 3-1 victory over Central Michigan (Sept. 30). Radtke's first double-figure kills match came while hitting .346 and recording 11.5 points. For the season, Radtke is averaging 1.59 kills and 1.78 points per set. 

Toledo bring a 7-9 mark into Friday's match, 2-2 in league play after sweeping a pair of matches last weekend against Ball State and Akron. The Rockets rank second in the MAC in blocks, averaging 2.12 per set. Three Toledo players are currently in the top-six in the MAC in hitting percentage as Chloee Kleespies ranks fourth (.335), Rachel Vidourek is fifth (.334) and Annie Beasley is sixth (.326). 

The Cardinals of Ball State enter the weekend with an 11-6 overall record, 3-1 in the MAC, with their lone blemish coming at Toledo last Thursday (Sept. 28). Ball State is currently second in the MAC in hitting percentage with a team mark of .226. In league play, Ball State's Amber Seaman leads the conference in assists (12.38 per set) and also ranks second in service aces (0.54 per set). 

NIU will continue its four-match road trip as the Huskies return to the road next weekend with trips to Buffalo (Oct. 13) and Akron (Oct. 14).