DEKALB, Ill. – Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) hit .410 with 21 kills but Chicago State outlasted the Northern Illinois University volleyball team, 25-21, 19-25, 28-26, 12-25, 16-14, on Friday night (Aug. 25) in the season opener for both teams in the NIU Convocation Center. 

"You saw in the first set a lot of high energy and a little bit of nerves," said NIU head coach Sondra Parys. "With that, volleyball is a very technical sport and if you try to do too much from time-to-time it doesn't go your way. I think that is what happened to us early. We fought back and Chicago State is a tough, competitive team, they play a little bit of a different style, they pushed us, we pushed back. It's tough when it goes to five (set), it could go either way."

Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) had 11 kills, hitting .320, Crew Hoffmeier (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) tallied 19 digs and Katie Erdmann (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) recorded her 18th collegiate double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs. 

Chicago State scored eight of the first 10 points to begin the opening set to take the early lead. NIU pulled back within one, 12-11, before five-straight Cougar points pushed their advantage to a half-dozen, 17-11, and went on to take the set, 25-21. 

Set two was tied at six before a 5-0 Huskie run gave NIU an 11-6 edge. Chicago State was back within a pair at 17-15 but the Huskies scored four of the last five points to close the set, winning 25-19, to even the match overall. NIU hit .444 in the second set with five kills from Nedic.

The third set included 20 ties and 10 lead changes as the Cougars went back in front. Neither team led by more than three points in the set as Chicago State hit .310 and NIU hit .325. The Huskies led the set, 26-25, before three-straight kills from Yanlis Feliz gave the set to the visitors. 

Feliz finished the night with a match-high 21 kills, along with 15 digs. 

NIU raced out to a 10-2 lead in the fourth set and never looked back, taking the set 25-12. The Huskies hit .375 in the set and held Chicago State to .000 as the Cougars recorded 10 attack errors to go along with 10 kills. Nedic had four kills in the set for NIU while Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) had three on six swings. 

The Huskies led the fifth set, 7-5, before a 5-0 run gave Chicago State a 10-7 lead. NIU battled back to within one, 13-12, following back-to-back kills from Atiemo and Nedic. The Huskies tied the set at 14 on Nedic's 21st kill of the night before a pair of Huskie miscues gave the set, and the match, to Chicago State. 

"I saw a lot of grit," said Parys. "Especially in the tight moments. We had three tight sets and they swung for kills at the end. I truly believe they wanted to win and believed that they could. It just comes down to small detail things that we still have to keep training in the gym to get better. But, overall, the team's heart is in it, and that is the most exciting thing for all of us."

NIU will return to action on Saturday, Aug. 26, when it hosts Illinois at 5 p.m. The first 200 fans in attendance will receive a free T-shirt and students will receive free pizza while supplies last.