TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team split its two matches at the Hampton Inn Bama Bash at the University of Alabama on Friday. The Huskies earned a 3-0 (25-18, 25-22, 25-21) win over Marshall Friday night after dropping a 3-0 (22-25, 29-31, 19-25) loss to Georgia Tech earlier in the day.
 
"I think we still showed signs of battling against teams," said head coach Ray Gooden on NIU's day Friday. "We just needed to finish. We were challenged against Georgia Tech. We buckled down and worked hard to finish against Marshall, and we did a good job staying positive and were successful."
 
NIU (2-7) got off to a real fast start against Marshall. The Huskies won seven of the first eight points, getting two blocks in the process. NIU extended the lead to seven at 13-6 after back-to-back kills by Jori Radtke (Buffalo Grove, Ill./Stevenson) and Jasmine Kemp. Marshall closed the gap to two, 18-16, on a kill by Ciara Debell. That would be as close as the Thundering Herd would get. NIU closed the set with a 7-2 run, as a Radtke kill gave the Huskies the set 25-18.
 
Marshall (4-6) bounced back to open the second set on a 9-0 run highlighted by three Amber Weaver aces. The Huskies used a 6-0 run, capped off by a block from Kemp and Amanda Rullan Vilanova (Bayamon, Puerto Rico/Savannah State), to get within one at 11-10. The Thundering Herd grew their lead back to five at 17-12 after back-to-back kills by Lauren Mattmuller. NIU would take over from there, closing the set on a 13-5 run to win the set 25-22. Sparked by a Meg Wolowicz (Manitowoc, Wis./Manitowoc Lincoln) kill, the Huskies won five straight points to take a 20-19 lead and never trailed after that.
 
"We didn't play the score and try to earn multiple points on a single play," said Gooden about the second-set comeback. "We battled all the way through, and it was good for our group to trust themselves to get back in the set and win it."
 
The Thundering Herd took a 7-4 lead to open the third set. NIU tied the set at 7-7 on a block and kills from Radtke and Grace Balensiefer (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon). With the set tied 9-9, a Debell kill started a 4-0 Marshall run that put the Thundering Herd up 13-9. NIU trailed 15-13 when a Wolowicz kill started a four-point run for the Huskies to put them ahead 17-15. Marshall got within one twice, but a Wolowicz kill and Marshall error put NIU up 23-20. The Huskies put the set, and the match, away with a block by Kemp and Kennedy Wallace (Kansas City, Kan.) and a Destiny Deyro (Park Ridge, Ill./Maine South) ace to win 25-21.
 
NIU hit .198 in the match, holding Marshall to .116. Wolowicz led the match with 14 kills. Radtke hit .440 in the sweep with 11 kills and added nine digs. Balensiefer had her second double-double of the day with 31 assists and 11 digs. Miranda Karlen (Evansville, Wis./Evansville) led NIU with 12 digs and had two aces.
 
"Jori was the most aggressive she's been in the regular season," added Gooden on Radtke's performance against Marshall. "She did a good job of being both physical and smart. It was fun to see that side of her today."
 
In its first match of the day, NIU jumped out to a 4-1 lead in the opening set against Georgia Tech, getting kills from Wallace and Radtke and a block by Wolowicz and Chrystal McAlpin (Calumet Park, Ill./Shepard). Georgia Tech (9-0) rallied back to tie the set 5-5 on kills by Mariana Bambilla and Kendall Wilson. The two teams traded points until 11-11, when a Lauren Frerking kill sparked a 4-0 Yellow Jackets run that put Georgia Tech ahead 14-11. The Huskies trailed 20-17 when a Radtke kill sparked a 5-1 run that gave NIU the lead 22-21. A Brambilla kill then started a 4-0 run for Georgia Tech, with a Matti McKissock ace giving the Yellow Jackets the set 25-22.
 
The Huskies fought back from an early 5-1 deficit in the second set to take a 10-9 lead on a block by McAlpin and Rullan Vilanova. Georgia Tech used a four-point run, capped by a Dominique Washington kill, to regain the lead at 18-15. NIU rallied to the set at 18-18 on a Radtke kill. The two teams then traded points until 23-23 when a Yellow Jackets service error gave NIU set point at 24-23. Washington put down a kill to tie the set 24-24, and the set would be tied three more times. Trailing 28-27, NIU got kills from Radtke and Wolowicz to earn another set point at 29-28. However, kills by Frerking and Brambilla highlighted a three-point Georgia Tech run to give the Yellow Jackets the second set 31-29.
 
The two sides traded points early in the third set, playing to a 6-6 tie. A Washington kill started a 7-0 Yellow Jackets run that put Georgia Tech in the lead 13-6. NIU closed the gap to two when a Radtke ace made the score 14-12 to cap a 5-0 run for the Huskies. Georgia Tech extended its lead to six at 22-16 on back-to-back kills by Washington. Led by a kill and solo block from Radtke, NIU got within three at 22-19 and forced a Georgia Tech timeout. The Yellow Jackets won the next three points coming out of the timeout to win the set 25-19 and the match 3-0.
 
Wolowicz led NIU with 12 kills, adding six digs. Wallace hit .421 while recording a career-high 11 kills. Balensiefer had a double-double with 21 assists and 11 digs. Karlen led the match with 16 digs as McAlpin had six blocks.
 
NIU takes on Alabama on Saturday at 1 p.m. to wrap up the weekend.
 
"Alabama is physical with great size and strength," Gooden said. "It's going to be another big battle for us tomorrow."

--NIU--