KALAMAZOO, Mich.—Starting off an action-packed week, the Northern Illinois University Huskies volleyball team (3-16, 1-8 MAC) fell in straight sets to the Broncos of Western Michigan University (9-11, 5-4 MAC).  The match saw set scores of 19-25, 15-25, and 19-25.
 
"We were very high error tonight, aggressive which is a change but too high error. The best way to make the most of the rest of the season is to continue to get better each day and play to our highest potential. The effort was there in the third set, and that is always positive," noted head coach Sondra D'Amore.
 
Ava Grevengoed (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet West) led all players on the court with 11 kills while Sarah Lezon (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) marked her third game with three service aces.
 
Game Recap
 
Nazli Güvener (Ankara, Turkey/Elvankent Sinar) grabbed the first kill of night for the Huskies as the Broncos opened on 7-2 run. The Broncos led by as many as nine in the first set before Grevengoed and Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) had back-to-back kills for the Huskies. Western Michigan kept control of the first set, forcing ten errors from the Huskies offense. Starting with an Atiemo kill at 23-15, the Huskies had three unanswered points before Western Michigan took the first set.
 
Each team started the second set with an attacking error as Western Michigan took an 8-2 advantage over NIU. Grevengoed recorded a kill to start a 3-0 run by the Huskies before recording back-to-back kills near the midway point of the set to make it 14-8. Grevengoed, who recorded seven kills in the second set helped to bring the Huskies within six at 19-13. Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) and Grevengoed tallied the final two kills of the second set for the Huskies as the Broncos took a two-set lead.
 
Nedic opened the third set for the Huskies with back-to-back kills, NIU's only lead over the night. Lezon recorded her third kill of the night following Nedic's third kill of the set as the Huskies got within four at 9-5. A Güvener kill started the Huskies on a 3-1 run to bring the score to 12-10. The Huskies and Broncos traded points as the set neared the midway point with Güvener, Rylea Alvin (Randolph, Wis./Randolph), and Nedic getting in on the action. Güvener put the Huskies within two late at 18-16 as a 4-2 run gave Western Michigan the final push that they needed to hand the Huskies their fourth straight three-set loss.
 
Huskie Highlights

• Lezon recorded her sixth game this season with multiple aces. Lezon had an ace in each of the sets and was the only Huskie to record an ace in the match.
• Grevengoed marked her 13th game with double-digit kills this season.
• Emma McCartney (Chardon, Ohio) led the Huskies with eight digs.

 
The Huskies return home for the final weekend of October, hosting Ball State University on Oct. 25 and 26. The Huskies and Cardinals are set for first serve at 6 p.m. on Oct. 25.