KENT, Ohio—Katie Erdmann (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) led the Huskies with 11 kills while Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) added 10 kills as the Northern Illinois University volleyball squad got their fourth win in the last five games. The Huskies posted set scores of 25-19, 25-19, 25-19 to defeat the Kent State Golden Flashes on Friday night. 

The Huskies recorded their highest hitting percentage of the season (.439) as they recorded 48 kills and seven blocks in the contest. The Huskies added four aces in the match as they won in Kent for the first time since the 2021 season.

"It was a good bounce back and being on the road is tough, especially in the MAC," said head coach Sondra Parys. "(I'm) really proud of how they responded after last night and how they excuted to find a way to win. We executed our first contact really well which allowed our offense to be very successful. I thought it was a great all-around balanced team win"

The first set was a defensive battle between the Huskies and the Golden Flashes as neither team led by more than a single point. The Huskies began to pull away with a kill by Erdmann and defensive pressure forced a series of errors by the Golden Flashes. Crew Hoffmeier (Louisville, KY/Assumption) gave the Huskies a five-point lead at 20-15. The Huskies held off a late charge from Kent State to take the first set.

Keeping the defensive pressure on, the Huskies recorded four unanswered points to force an early timeout from the Golden Flashes in the second set. The Golden Flashes kept offensive pressure on the Huskies, keeping the game within two points. Isabelle Percoco (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg) and Savanah Brandt (Pearl City, Ill./Pearl City) combined for five straight points as the Huskies took a six-point lead for the final time in the set.

Looking for the sweep, the Huskies opened on a 7-2 run which included a pair of aces from Sophie Hurt (Elmhurst, Ill./IC Catholic Prep). The Golden Flashes would get as close as three before NIU went on an 8-3 run through the middle of the third and final set. The Huskies recorded five kills in the last six points as they had a hitting percentage of .407 in the third set.

With Erdmann's 11 kills in the match, she is now 20 kills away from achieving 1,000 career kills.

The Huskies return to DeKalb on Thursday, October 12 and Friday, October 13 as they host Eastern Michigan during the Huskies homecoming week. The Huskies are set for first serve against the Eagles of Eastern Michigan at 6 p.m. both days and are scheduled to be broadcast on ESPN+.