DeKALB, Ill.—In their second meeting this week, the Northern Illinois University Huskies volleyball (2-8) program hosted the Northwestern University Wildcats (2-6) in the final non-conference match of the season inside the NIU Convocation Center. The Huskies posted set scores of 16-25, 24-26, and 21-25.
 
Ava Grevengoed (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet West) led the Huskies with 12 kills this evening, her eighth game this season with double-digit kills.
 
"I think there were a lot of aspects of our game that were a lot cleaner than they were on Wednesday," said NIU head coach Sondra D'Amore. "We started using the block earlier and our serve-and-pass side was better from Wednesday's game. Closing is still a focus moving forward and is something (we) will take into conference play."
 
Game Recap
 
Grevengoed recorded the first two kills of the night for the Huskies as the Wildcats took an early 5-2 lead. Kills from Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy), Sarah Lezon (Indianapolis, Ind./Roncalli), and Grevengoed kept the Huskies within two as Northwestern kept an advantage over the Huskies. The Huskies had three unanswered points before Northwestern responded with three unanswered points of their own. Atiemo recorded the final kill of the first set as Northwestern took a set lead over the Huskies.
 
Northwestern started with four straight points before Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) tallied the first kill of the set for the Huskies. The Huskies went on a 5-1 scoring run to tie the set at six on an Alexa Hayes (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia West) kill. Northwestern continued to lead over the Huskies before the NIU recorded three consecutive points to bring the score within one at 16-15. A block by Nedic and Atiemo tied the game at 19 as Atiemo and Lezon teamed up moments later to give NIU their first lead of the night at 21-20. The teams battled back-and-forth in the closing points as additional points would be needed as Northwestern took a 26-24 set victory.
 
Rylea Alvin (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) had the first kill of the third set for the Huskies to tie the score at four. Northwestern went on a 6-2 run to leave the Huskies at 11-7 before the Huskies tallied three unanswered points to bring the game within one. A late scoring run by Northwestern was briefly interrupted by a Grevengoed kill as Northwestern built their lead to eight. A pair of Nedic kills started a 7-2 run by the Huskies as they cut into the Wildcats lead. Grevengoed marked the final kill of the evening for the Huskies as Northwestern took the third and final set.
 
Huskie Highlights

• Atiemo led the Huskies with five blocks, her third game this season with five blocks.
• Atiemo and Sydney Robinson (Indianapolis, Ind./Brebeuf Jesuit) had the lone service aces for the Huskies.
• Ella Strausberger (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) led the Huskies with 16 assists.

The Huskies begin Mid-American Conference play on September 27-28 as they travel to the University of Toledo for a two-game series. First serve is set for 5 p.m. CT on Sept. 27.