Women's Volleyball | September 22

DeKALB, Ill. – After wrapping up the non-conference schedule on a high note this past weekend, the Northern Illinois University volleyball team (7-3, 0-0 MAC) commences their Mid-American Conference schedule this Friday and Saturday as they host Akron (3-8, 0-0 MAC) at Victor E. Court at 6 p.m. and 2 p.m., respectively.

"We'll be trying to use a lot of the things that we have worked on over the four weeks of non-con to put ourselves in a spot," said head volleyball coach Ray Gooden. "I would say the same for Akron - they're building a team with a new coaching staff, so they're going to improve every single day and week,"

Akron enters the weekend with a 3-8 overall mark and is at the bottom of the MAC East standings. The Zips' most recently fell to Youngstown State in straight sets and Cleveland State in five. Teagan Ochaya leads the Zips' with 154 total kills and 119 digs thus far in the season. The Huskies and Akon share a common opponent in Valparaiso – both teams fell to Valpo in four sets this year.  

The Huskies on the other hand are coming off a two-win weekend as the team handled Rhode Island (4-9, 0-0 A10) and Southern Indiana (0-11, 0-0 OVC) in the NIU Invitational last weekend. Francesca Bertucci (Chicago, Ill./De La Salle) brought home her second-consecutive MAC Player of the Week award after a stout defensive performance in the invitational. The defensive specialist/libero exploded for 57 digs (8.14/set) in NIU's triumphs, earning her the nod. Bertucci paces the MAC and is 4th nationally with 5.63 digs/set.

"I think Frankie anchors a mindset with our group where keeping the ball alive is key to our success. It's not about just hitting or another phase of the game - defense is where it's at. And so as one of the leaders on our defensive groups, she's really brought it upon herself to have that energy and effort. It's spread with everybody else on our team to where we have a mindset of the ball can't drop without effort,"

The Huskies' complimentary volleyball has propelled the team atop of the MAC West standings. Along with Bertucci, Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) is third in the MAC and 22^nd nationally with 10.60 assists/set. Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) is sixth in the league with her .329 hitting percentage while Sammi Lockwood (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge) is seventh at .327. Likewise, Lockwood is a stout defender at the net with 1.09 blocks-per-set.

"It's imperative for us to give [Akron] full respect, and not look at things like records or results. We have to care about what we're all trying to do now, which is compete for a bid to the MAC Tournament and winning the MAC Championship, as well as playing in the postseason."

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.