Women's Volleyball | August 25

DeKALB, Ill. – The much-anticipated Huskie Invitational begins Friday when the Huskies host the New Jersey Institute of Technology, South Dakota State University and the University of Illinois Chicago at Victor E. Court.

UIC and SDSU will kick things off Friday morning at 10 a.m. while NIU and NJIT follow at noon. Then, NJIT and UIC will face off at 4 p.m. before the Huskies and SDSU close day one at 6 p.m. On Saturday, SDSU and NJIT will play each other at noon before the tournament concludes with NIU and UIC at 2 p.m.

After two weeks of preseason camp, Head Coach Ray Gooden is pleased with the strides his squad has taken in working as a unit.

"I think the group was happy with the fact that they've been making positive plays, especially in critical times," said Gooden. "It's good for them to feel the success of the things that they've been working on during preseason camp. Now, we understand that we must play at a more consistent level, and that's what our next step is going to be. We're trying to take the first step right now in playing good volleyball in the regular season,"

NIU returns eight letterwinners with live-game experience from 2021. Plus, three consistent starters are back in outside hitter Katie Jablonski (Elburn, Ill./Kaneland/New Hampshire), setter Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) and middle blocker Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy). The trio paced the team in multiple categories last season including points (1,003) kills (839) and total attacks (2,425).

This weekend, the Huskies will host three extremely talented teams at Victor E. Court. This is a special opportunity for NIU who's posted a 107-63 record at home since the start of the 2010 season. The Huskies have won at least 65 percent of its home matches in a season seven times this decade. Gooden understands the importance in defending the Huskies' den.

"The Huskies defending home, that's really what it comes down to. We're going to try to continue to build on what we did last weekend. We're trying to defend our house and do our best against three solid teams."

If you are planning on attending Corn Fest this weekend, visit the NIU Athletics booth to receive a free special voucher which can be redeemed at the NIU box office and concession stands during the Huskie Invitational. The voucher will grant admittance for one individual to ONE day of the Huskie Invitational for just $5. Also, redeem the voucher at the concession stands for a free 20-oz beverage with any purchase made.

Season Tickets start at $30 in the general admission. A Huskie Four-Pack is available at $22.50 per ticket, with a minimum of four season tickets purchased. New for the 2022 season is the addition of 20 courtside seats on the south side of Victor E. Court. For $180, which includes a season ticket and Premium Seat License, Huskie fans will have a chance to experience NIU Volleyball like never before for less than $13 per match. All orders have a $5 handling fee. To purchase, click on the following link.

Friday's noon match against NJIT will be streamed on NIUTube on NIUHuskies.com, the Huskie all-access channel. Subscriptions are available for purchase on a daily ($6.95), monthly ($10.95) or annual basis and provides access to all home NIU Athletics events streamed on the website for the purchase period. Friday night's match against SDSU and Saturday's match versus UIC will air on ESPN+.