COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team fell to Dayton, 25-13, 25-22, 25-13, on Friday morning in the opening match of the Buckeye Invitational at St. John Arena. Freshman Kaylee Martin (Sterling, Ill./Sterling) led the Huskies with 10 kills, junior Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) hit .400 with six kills. 

NIU (1-12) led by three early in the opening set, 6-3, before six-straight Dayton points gave the Flyers a three-point edge. Dayton's lead was still three, 14-11, before another 6-0 run pushed its advantage to 20-11; the Flyers went on to take the opening set, 25-13. 

Lauren Bruns recorded nine kills in the first set to lead Dayton, who had 20 kills as a team in the set and hit .410. Martin had four first set kills for the Huskies; Martin, senior Chandler Kinley (Lexington, Ky./Lafayette) and senior Anna Brereton (Sun Prairie, Wis./Sun Prairie) each had four digs in the set for NIU. 

The second set was tied, 14-14, before a four-point burst from NIU gave the Huskies an 18-14 advantage. Wolowicz had a pair of kills during the run for the Huskies. NIU held a five-point lead until Dayton closed the set on a 9-1 run to take the second set, 25-22. 

Bruns led Dayton with nine kills in set number two as the Flyers hit .324 as a team; Wolowicz paced NIU with five kills in the second set. 

Dayton (8-4) jumped out to a 10-2 lead in the third set. The Flyers led 15-6 before using a five-point burst to increase its lead to 20-6; Dayton would go on to take the third set, 25-13. 

The Flyers hit .515 with 20 kills in the final set, Jessica Sloan led the way with five kills; Martin had a team-high three kills for NIU in the final set. 

Bruns tallied 22 kills in the match to pace Dayton, Sloan added 12 kills; Margo Wolf posted 17 digs for the Flyers. 

NIU will return to action later this evening when the Huskies face No. 25 Ohio State. First serve against the Buckeyes is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. CT.