YPSILANTI, Mich. – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team fell in three sets at Eastern Michigan, 25-22, 25-22, 25-13, on Saturday evening at the EMU Convocation Center. Freshman Kaylee Martin (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) had a team-high 10 kills and senior Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) recorded a team-best 15 digs. 

"I think we competed in the first two sets and it is just unfortunate about the third set, but we just couldn't score the right points in those first two," said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. "Eastern Michigan did a good just of scoring the important points in those first two sets. We just didn't execute as well as we needed to, Eastern Michigan did really good job of defending their home court, playing well for their seniors and making the important points when they needed to."

The opening set when back-and-forth between the Huskies and Eagles as it featured 12 ties and four lead changes. The set was tied, 21-21, when a kill from Eastern Michigan and a Huskie attack error gave the Eagles a two-point lead. A block from freshman Kennedy Wallace (Kansas City, Kan./Piper) and senior Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) trimmed the EMU lead back to one, but the Eagles closed the set with a pair of kills as they took the set, 25-22. 

Eastern Michigan (13-17, 5-9 MAC) recorded 19 kills in the opening set, including six from Samantha Falco. Junior Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) tallied five kills to lead the Huskies. 

Wolowicz finished the match with nine kills four blocks. 

The second set followed a similar pattern to the first as the two teams traded the lead seven times and were tied on 13 occasions, including at 21-21. A Huskie error, followed by an Eastern Michigan service ace gave the Eagles a 23-21 advantage. A kill from Jordan Smith gave Eastern Michigan a set point, NIU held off the first set point with a kill from Martin but Smith added another kill to give Eastern Michigan a 2-0 lead at the intermission. 

Cassie Haut had five kills to lead Eastern Michigan in the second set as the Eagles hit .250 as a team. Martin led NIU with five kills in the set. 

With the third set tied, 8-8, Eastern Michigan used an 8-3 burst to take a five-point lead, 16-11. Following a kill by Martin, the Eagles closed the set with a 9-1 run to take the third, 25-13, and finish the sweep. 

Smith had five kills in the set for the Eagles, Kelly Ferguson added four kills in the third for Eastern Michigan. Smith finished the match with 13 kills while Haut also reached double figures with 10 kills; Alyssa LaFace tallied 15 digs to pace EMU.  

NIU will return home next weekend for the final two regular season matches of the season. The Huskies will host Ball State on Friday, Nov. 10, at 6 p.m., and Toledo on Saturday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m.