DeKALB, IL – Led by 19 kills and 18 digs from junior outside hitter Katie Jablonski (Elburn, Ill./New Hampshire), the Northern Illinois University volleyball team won the opening match of this weekend's series against the Eastern Michigan Eagles 3-1 (25-16, 23-20, 21-25, 25-20) Friday night at Victor E. Court.
 
"She just enjoys playing the complete game," said head coach Ray Gooden about Jablonski's performance Friday night. "There's some people that just like getting kills and swinging and others who just like playing defense and ball control. She has moments where she can do both really well. For her to be able to come and use her skills to help us find success is big for our team."
 
Jablonski's 19 kills tied a season-high set most recently at Central Michigan last Friday. Her 18 digs were one shy of a career-high. Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) added 16 kills, hitting a match-high .483. Grace Balensiefer (Lafayette, Ind./McCutcheon) had over 50 assists for the second straight match with 53.
 
NIU (8-6, 2-2 MAC) broke a 4-4 tie in the opening set with a 7-1 run, highlighted by two Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) kills, to go up 11-5. Jablonski grew the lead to eight for NIU with a kill that made the score 15-8. Eastern Michigan got back in the set by scoring the next five points, three coming on Raeven Chase kills, to get within three at 15-12. Atiemo responded with three kills of her own in a 5-1 Huskies run that put the home team up 20-13. NIU hit .270 in the set and held Eastern Michigan to a .000 to take the first 25-16.
 
The Huskies answered an early 4-1 Eagles run in the second with a 6-1 run to take a 7-5 lead. Eastern Michigan then won seven of the next nine points to take a 12-9 lead. Sparked by kills from Jasmine Kemp (DeKalb, Ill./DeKalb) and Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan), the Huskies put together a 7-2 run of their own to go ahead 18-13. Eastern Michigan got as close as three at 21-18 but three straight kills from Atiemo and Nedic gave NIU set point at 24-18. The Eagles fought off two set points but the Huskies eventually took the set 25-20 to go up 2-0 in the match.
 
Eastern Michigan (5-9, 0-3 MAC) had its best offensive set in the third, hitting .321 to take it 25-21 and stay alive in the match. The Huskies quickly put the third set behind them, taking a 7-4 lead in the fourth on a block by Kemp and Nedic. The Eagles chipped away at NIU's lead throughout the set, getting within one at 14-13 on a Samantha Basham kill. NIU pulled away with a 5-1 run highlighted by a pair of Kemp blocks to take a 19-14 lead. Jablonski put the match away for the Huskies, scoring NIU's final three points on kills for the 25-20 set win and the 3-1 match win.
 
"It's so nice to be back at home, just the energy and to have everybody around," Gooden said. "We had another good division battle tonight and at times we did some pretty positive things. We kept fighting and were able to pull it out at the end in four tight sets."
 
NIU hit .260 for the match, holding Eastern Michigan to a .167 hitting percentage. Francesca Bertucci (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) had 15 digs and Kemp tied for the match-lead in blocks with seven. Chase led Eastern Michigan with 14 kills and seven blocks.
 
The Huskies and Eagles wrap up their weekend series Saturday night at 7 p.m.
 
--NIU--