DEKALB, Ill. – Despite winning the opening set, the Northern Illinois University volleyball team was unable to hold off Dayton as the Flyers took the next three sets to win in four, 20-25, 25-18, 25-12, 25-14, on Friday night at Victor E. Court. 

Freshman Kennedy Wallace (Kansas City, Kan./Piper) had a team-best eight kills while senior Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) recorded 17 digs. 

"We are playing against good teams and we have a new cycle of kids who are getting an education on the fly," said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. "I think it is good to play against teams that are at this level, now it is about the understanding of how to do that as best as we possibly can, for as long as we possibly can."

Freshman Maddy Katchen (Fox River Grove, Ill./Cary-Grove) had three kills in the opening set and Brereton recorded eight digs as NIU took the early lead, winning the first set 25-20. With the set tied at 18, back-to-back kills from senior Taylor Krage (St. Charles, Ill./St. Charles North) and Katchen helped push the Huskies in front by a pair. The Huskies and Flyers traded the next four points before NIU closed out the set with three-straight, including an ace from senior Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette). NIU held Dayton to just .049 hitting in the opening set. 

In the second set, NIU and Dayton were knotted at 13 before the Flyers scored 11 of the next 14 points to take an eight-point lead, 24-16. NIU held off a pair of set points before a kill from Jessica Sloan gave Dayton the second set to even the match going to the intermission. Sloan had six kills in set number two as the Flyers hit .367. 

The middle of the second set saw Dayton use a 15-3 run to take a 22-10 lead en route to claiming the third set. The Flyers hit .586 in set number three with Sloan leading the way as she tallied seven kills and hit .667 to help give Dayton a 2-1 lead. 

Dayton's strong hitting continued in the fourth set as the Flyers hit .316. A 7-1 run helped Dayton open up a 14-7 lead in the fourth. NIU trimmed the lead back to as little as five points but Dayton scored the final six points of the match to win the set 25-14 and claim the match. 

Sloan led the way for the Flyers with 16 kills, Lauren Bruns added 14 and Amber Erhahon chipped in 10 kills. Dayton hit .304 as a team for the match and also recorded 11 total blocks. 

NIU will return to the floor on Saturday night, Aug. 26, when the Huskies host Cal Poly in the final match of the NIU Holiday Inn Express Invitational. Game time against the Mustangs is scheduled for 7 p.m.