DeKALB, Ill.— Several Huskies recorded career-best performances while five Huskies made their debut as the Northern Illinois University Huskies Volleyball team hosted the Western Illinois University Leathernecks in the season opener inside the NIU Convocation Center. The Huskies would fall 3-1 to the visiting Leathernecks. The Huskies posted set scores of 20-25, 25-20, 18-25, 23-25).
 
Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) led the team in kills with 14 while Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) led the team with six blocks, a career-best.
 
Sarah Lezon (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli) recorded a career-best service aces with three aces in tonight's contest.
 
Ella Strausberger (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) recorded her first double-double in her Huskie debut, with 19 assists and 10 digs.
 
"You saw the ebbs and flows of a first match," noted head coach Sondra D'Amore. "There are a lot of positives to take from tonight. They competed hard and played a higher level of volleyball. I'm proud of the performance the team put on tonight. I think the set we won and the set we were in, we were executing at a higher clip to put kills on the board."
 
Game Recap
 
Nedic recorded back-to-back kills to open the first set for the Huskies. The Huskies and Leathernecks battled back and forth throughout the first set before the Leathernecks took a four-point lead at 14-10. Ava Grevengoed (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet West) ended a 5-2 run with a kill on an assist from Sophie Hurt (Elmhurst, Ill./IC Catholic Prep). Grevengoed recorded two of her five total services aces in the first set, bringing the score of 16-12. Western Illinois continued to keep the pressure on, as the Huskies dropped the opening set 20-25.
 
Savanah Brandt (Pearl City, Ill./Pearl City/Belmont) and Nedic teamed up for a block to start the second set as the Huskies jumped on to a 4-1 lead. After the set was tied at eight, Atiemo recorded a trio of kills and was involved in a block as the Huskies went on a 5-1 run near the midpoint of the set. Western Illinois got within one at 17-16. The Huskies recorded seven kills in the final moments of the second set, winning 25-20.
 
Turning to the third set, Grevengoed got the first point of the set for the Huskies on an assist from Strausberger. Mirroring the first set, the Huskies and Leathernecks battled back and forth in the early points of the set. The Huskies biggest lead of the set would be two which happened for the last time at 10-8, on a block by Nazli Güvener (Ankara, Turkey/Elvankent Sinar). Alexa Hayes (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia West/Tyler Junior College) recorded two of her six kills in the final points of the third set as Western Illinois took a 2-1 advantage.
 
Each team recorded two kills in the first four points as the fourth and final set was quickly tied at 2. There would be a total of 12 ties in the final set of the game. Led by a Nedic kill, went on a 4-1 run which included a debut kill from Rylea Alvin (Randolph, Wis./Randolph). An Atiemo kill gave the Huskies their final lead at 13-12. Güvener tied the game for a final time at 21 all with a kill as Western Illinois three kills in the final points of the game.
 
Huskie Notes

• Four of the six newcomers to the Huskie Volleyball program made their debuts this evening as Grevengoed, Strausberger, Emma McCartney (Chardon, Ohio/Chardon), and Hayes saw action in the first set. Alvin made her debut in the third set for the Huskies.
• Grevengoed's five service aces were the most by a Huskie since Atiemo recorded five against Toledo on Nov. 3, 2023.
• Grevengoed also recorded 56 total attacks. The last time an individual Huskie had more that 55 swings or more in a match was 55 by Katie Jablonski on Nov. 16, 2022.
• Hoffmeier recorded 32 digs, just four shy of her career record (36). Four Huskies recorded double-digit digs in tonight's contest.
• As a team, the Huskies record 88 digs. The last time the team had 75 or more digs was against St. Thomas on Sept. 9, 2023 with 86.

 
The Huskies return to action on September 1 as they host Milwaukee to conclude the Huskie Invitational. First serve is set for 3 p.m. inside the NIU Convocation Center.
 
Tickets can be purchased here for all NIU Volleyball games or by calling the NIU Athletics Ticket Office at 815-753-PACK (7225). Calls received outside of business hours (Monday-Friday, 9 am-5 pm CT) will be returned the next business day.