DEKALB, Ill. – After eight consecutive matches away from home, the Northern Illinois University volleyball team returns to Victor E. Court on Tuesday, Sept. 12, when the Huskies host Illinois State. First serve against the Redbirds is slated for 7 p.m., and the match can be seen on ESPN3. 

The Huskies will be making their first home appearance since the season-opening NIU Holiday Inn Express Invitational. This past week, NIU (0-11) played four-straight matches in the State of Iowa as it met Northern Iowa, No. 22 Iowa State and twice met Iowa.  

Senior Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) was named to the All-Tournament Team at the Iowa Invitational this past weekend. Kinley tallied 49 assists (5.44/set) and 23 digs (2.56/set) for the weekend and posted a double-double against No. 22 Iowa State (Sept. 9) with 17 assists and 14 digs. The double-double was Kinley's third of the season and the 12th of her career. 

Freshman Kaylee Martin (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) recorded her first career double-double this past weekend against Iowa (Sept. 9) with 11 kills and 11 digs. 

Junior Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) ranks eighth in the MAC with 0.89 blocks per set; senior Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) ranks eighth in the conference with 3.94 digs per set.

Illinois State comes to DeKalb with a 4-5 overall record after going 2-1 at home this past weekend in the Redbird Classic, defeating Dayton and Cincinnati while falling to Seton Hall. Jaelyn Keene is leading the Redbirds attack with 3.69 kills per set, hitting .315 with 158.0 points. Courtney Pence is averaging 6.57 digs per set for Illinois State, which ranks second nationally behind Notre Dame's Ryann DeJarld (6.82). 

Tuesday's meeting will be the 53rd all-time between NIU and Illinois State, but the first since 2008; the Redbirds won that meeting in three sets in Normal. 

Following Tuesday's match, NIU will conclude its non-conference schedule at the Buckeye Invitational this weekend. The Huskies will face Dayton and host Ohio State on Friday, Sept. 15, before matching up with Western Kentucky on Saturday, Sept. 16.