DeKALB, Ill. — Rylea Alvin (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) matched her career-best in blocks with six while Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) had the lone service aces for the Northern Illinois University Huskies volleyball team (3-18, 1-10 MAC) as they battled against the Ball State Cardinals (14-8, 7-4 MAC).
 
The Cardinals swept the Huskies in straight sets with scores of 14-25, 21-25, and 18-25.
 
Savanah Brandt (Pearl City, Ill./Pearl City) recorded a season-best seven kills in the contest.
 
"The focus going into the match was 'how do we be better than yesterday' and continuing to get better as a team. They made some changes defensively that we worked on, and you saw a physical team in Ball State. There are some positives to take away but still room to grow," said NIU head coach Sondra D'Amore.
 
Game Recap
 
Atiemo and Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) marked the first two kills of the afternoon for the Huskies as they took a 4-2 lead in the opening points. Led by a kill from Brandt, Atiemo recorded her consecutive aces as NIU had three unanswered points. The Cardinals came back on a 5-1 run before Nazli Güvener (Ankara, Turkey/Elvankent Sinar) tied the game up at nine. Brandt and Nedic recorded back-to-back kills NIU while Güvener had the final kill of the first set at Ball State took set one 14-25.
 
Alvin and Atiemo recorded three solo blocks in the opening points of the second set as the Huskies took a 6-4 lead over the Cardinals. Atiemo had the answer for NIU, tying the set twice before the Cardinals took a 10-8 lead over the Huskies. Following a 4-1 run by the Cardinals, a block from Alvin and Nedic started the Huskies on a 5-2 run to bring the game within two at 17-15. Nedic and Alvin combined for back-to-back blocks late in the set as the Huskies came within one at 22-21 on a Güvener and Alvin block. Ball State answered with three straight points to take the second set.
 
Güvener had the first kill of the final set for NIU as Ball State took a 6-2 lead. Atiemo marked her final kill of the afternoon as Ball State would extend their lead to seven at 12-5. Four of the Huskies' next six kills came via the hands of Nedic as the Huskies worked to find an offense answer to the Cardinals. Alvin and Güvener had the final block of the afternoon for the Huskies while Nedic was credited with the final kill as the Huskies dropped their sixth straight match.
 
Huskie Highlights

• The Huskies out-blocked the Cardinals, 9-4.
• Brandt and Nedic combined for 14 of NIU's 29 kills.
• Atiemo had three solo blocks in the contest.

 
The Huskies head east for MAC competition as they travel to the University at Buffalo on Nov. 1 for a two-game series. The Huskies and Bulls will have the first serve at 5 p.m. CT.