YIPSILANTI, Mich. – Sophie Hurt (Elmhurst, Ill./IC Catholic Prep) posted a career-high 19 assists in the Northern Illinois University volleyball team's (16-10, 9-7 MAC) 3-1 win (26-24, 26-24, 22-25, 25-18) over Eastern Michigan (5-23, 4-12 MAC) Friday night at the George Gervin Game Above Center.
"A good, gritty win by our group," said head NIU volleyball coach
Ray Gooden. "Every match, every play counts right now. And so for us to get one on the road, to battle against the Eagles, it was good for our team tonight,"
HOW IT HAPPENED
After trailing 5-3 in the first frame, the Huskies took off on a 6-1 run, taking a 13-9 lead at the midway point. But after three-straight EMU errors made the score 22-16, the Eagles stormed back on an 8-2 run, knotting the set at 24-24. NIU kept its cool though as
Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) slammed down a kill followed by
Kaitlyn Bell (De Soto, Kan./De Soto) and
Sammi Lockwood (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge) combining for a block to end the set, 26-24.
NIU tied the second set 13-13 after
Charli Atiemo's (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) kill from Hurt. EMU later swung momentum in its favor after a four-point swing gave the Eagles a three-point lead. Later at EMU's set point (24-23), the Huskies' offense exploded for two kills plus an ace to help NIU win the second set, 26-24.
The Huskies dropped the third frame 25-22 after EMU hit .293, its best of the night. NIU made things interesting though as the squad made it a two-point set at 24-22, EMU, but couldn't finish the job.
Leading for a majority of the fourth and final set, the Huskies shook off multiple EMU attempts at a comeback. After a 3-0 NIU run made the score 19-11 in favor of the Huskies, Eastern Michigan went on a 7-4 run, coming within five of NIU. But the ensuing kill from Nedic along with an EMU error gave the Huskies the set and the match.
NOTABLES
- Hurt posted a career-high 19 assists
- Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) had a team-high 22 assists plus 13 digs for her 10th double-double this season
- Lockwood posted a career-high six assists
- Bertucci had a match-high 21 digs
- Katie Jablonski (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland) had a team-high 14 kills and tied her career-high in blocks with four
- Atiemo and Nedic had 11 kills each
- Nedic logged a season-high 11 kills
- Lockwood and Atiemo had six blocks apiece
- With the win, NIU sits sixth in the Mid-American Conference's overall standings. Win out, and the Huskies will earn a bid to the 2022 MAC Tournament
UP NEXT
The pair will meet again tomorrow at 3 p.m. CT. The match will again broadcast on
ESPN3.
"We are still on a mission to continue to battle and have the goal of playing in the MAC Tournament. So, we're going to celebrate it, rest up, and get ready for another battle tomorrow."
