Women's Volleyball | August 24
DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team opens the season with a trio of matches against in-state foes, beginning with a pair of home matches as the Huskies face Chicago State on Friday, Aug. 25 at 6 p.m. and Illinois on Saturday, Aug. 26 at 5 p.m. Both matches will take place in the NIU Convocation Center and tickets are available now at NIUHuskies.com.
On Saturday night, the first 200 fans in attendance will receive a free T-shirt and students will receive free pizza while supplies last. Admission for NIU students is free of charge, tickets are
available to claim now. Friday and Saturday night's matches will also be available on ESPN+.
NIU will conclude the weekend on Sunday, Aug. 27, as the Huskies travel to Chicago State. First serve on Sunday is scheduled for 6 p.m.
"It is an honor to be at home first, and to do it in the Convo," said first-year NIU head coach
Sondra Parys. "We have been talking about this for a while and we are really excited to see how it comes together.
"I think we are ready. We have had three weeks of a lot of work, a lot of training. We are focusing on the serve and pass game, which I think we are going to need to be successful. Everyone will be a little nervous, a little excited, but everyone is really looking forward to the opportunity.
Chicago State went 8-15 last season, playing an independent schedule. Yanlis Feliz is the leading returning hitter for the Cougars, she averaged 4.37 kills per set. Andrea Calderon also returns for Chicago State after recording a team-high 4.02 digs per set in 2022.
Illinois is coming off a 15-15 season in 2022, including a 10-10 mark in Big Ten conference play. Raina Terry earned First Team All-Big Ten and AVCA All-Region honors a season ago while Brooke Mosher was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Terry led Illinois with 4.07 kills per set while Mosher averaged 2.09 kills and 1.94 digs per set.
Along the with opening of the season, this weekend also represents the collegiate head coaching debut for Parys, who is just the seventh head coach in program history.
"I'm excited," said Parys of her coaching debut. "I'd like to think I'm a pretty calm person, I try to be pretty stable and that is something I am going to really try to do for the team, to be who I am every day in practice. I think if they can get comfortable and calm with me, that will help them to succeed. Obviously, I'm excited, but I'm going to try to be focused and do my job."
Season tickets for NIU volleyball are still on sale, beginning at just $30 for general admission seats. A Huskie Four-Pack is available at $90 and additional seats can be purchased for $22.50 per seat. Courtside seats on the south side of Victor E. Court are available for $180, which includes a season ticket and Premium Seat License. All orders have a $5 handling fee.
