DeKALB, IL – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team was swept 3-0 (21-25, 21-25, 18-25) by the Toledo Rockets Friday afternoon at Victor E. Court as the two teams split their weekend series.
 
"With these back-to-backs we're all still trying to get ourselves to a level of volleyball we're accustomed to after being away for so long," said head coach Ray Gooden. "Toledo did a good job today of putting us under pressure from time to time. We were good to get the first one here Thursday and unfortunate didn't get it tonight. It's a lesson learned where we're going to have to now go back and continue to work hard to get ready for another tough division series on the road."
 
Junior setter Grace Balensiefer (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon) had her third straight double-double with 16 assists and 12 digs. Katie Jablonski (Elburn, Ill./New Hampshire) led the Huskies with 11 kills as Katilyn Bell (De Soto, Kan./De Soto) had 10 kills and hit .381. Jablonski also added four service aces. Samantha Juarez (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) paced the NIU backline with 18 digs.
 
NIU (1-3, 1-3 MAC) got off to a good start in the opening set, using a 4-0 run highlighted by a block by Jablonski and Jasmine Kemp (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) to take a 7-4 lead. Toledo came back with a 5-0 run capped off by two Olivia Vance kills to go up 9-7. The Huskies traded points with the Rockets up to 17-15 when a Kemp kill started a 3-0 run that gave NIU an 18-17 lead. NIU led 21-19 when an Abby Erickson kill sparked a 6-0 Toledo run that gave the Rockets the first set 25-21.
 
The Huskies raced out to a 10-4 lead in set two, winning seven straight points off Jablonski's serve. The sophomore had three aces in that stretch. Toledo chipped away at NIU's lead, getting within two at 16-14 on a block by Rhyenne Filisi and Taylor Alt. After a Kennedy Wallace (Kansas City, Kan./Piper) kill put the Huskies back up three, Toledo went on a 7-0 run to take a 21-17 advantage. The two sides traded points the rest of the way, allowing the Rockets to take a 2-0 lead in the match with another 25-21 win.
 
"We were doing some really good things at the start of that set and then I think we started to worry about things like the score," Gooden said. "Before you know it, Toledo made a run to take the lead. We've just got to be able to handle that. That's one of the big things for our team right now is being able to have that short-term memory and be ready for the next play."
 
Toledo (1-3, 1-3 MAC) got two kills each from Filisi and Alt to take a 6-0 lead to start the third set. NIU rallied back to get within two at 11-9 on a Jablonski kill. The Rockets then came back with five of the next six points to take a 16-10 lead and eventually grew the advantage to 10 at 22-12 on another Alt kill. The Huskies got as close as six but could not keep up with Toledo's efficient offense as the Rockets hit .295 in the set to win it 25-18 and the match 3-0.
 
The Rockets hit .294 in the match to NIU's .147. Alt led all players with 17 kills.
 
NIU opens a two-match series at Central Michigan next Thursday, Feb. 4, at 5 p.m.
 
--NIU--