DeKALB, Ill.—Hitting the double-digit win mark this season came with extra points as the Northern Illinois University Huskies volleyball team (10-4, 3-2 MAC) defeated the Western Michigan University Broncos (6-12, 3-2 MAC). The Huskies posted set scores of 29-27, 25-22, and 27-25 in the fourth straight three-set match.  
 
Emma McCartney (Cleveland, Ohio/Chardon) recorded her first career double-double as she was credited with 16 kills, to lead all players, and 15 digs, a season-best. Ava Grevengoed (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet West) added 12 kills as she and McCartney totaled 28 of the Huskies 50 kills.
 
This was the first victory sweep of the Broncos since the 2019 season and first win in DeKalb since the 2022 season.
 
"I'm really proud of how the team responded after a tough weekend," noted NIU head volleyball coach Sondra D'Amore. "We addressed some things and practiced with intention the last couple of days and you saw that help us tonight. We executed the game plan and made changes throughout the match really well. It was great to see the team that I know we can be tonight!"
 
How It Happened
 
Capped off by a service ace from Autumn Flynn (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco), the Huskies started the first set on a 3-1 run. It was a battle back-and-forth as neither team was able to gain more than a two-point advantage early in the set, which would feature 13 tie scores. An attacking error by Flynn gave the Broncos a three-point lead before Hayes answered with a kill following a timeout. Grevengoed and Kylie Schulze (Wonder Lake, Ill./Woodstock North) added late kills to tie the game at 21 before Western Michigan reached set point at 24-22. McCartney accounted for all three of NIU's kills in a 3-1 run as an Ella Strausberger (Plainfield, Ill./Plainfield North) ace gave NIU a 26-25 lead. Flynn and McCartney had the final kills of the set as NIU won 29-27.
 
McCartney opened the second set for the Huskies with a service ace before the Broncos responded with back-to-back points. After trading points early, consecutive kills from McCartney gave NIU an 8-5 lead. Western Michigan went on a 6-0 run as they took a 14-11 lead that was ended by a Strausberger kill. The Broncos built their lead out to five at 17-12 before NIU went on a 7-1 run for a 19-18 lead late in the set. A series of attacking errors by the Broncos put the Huskies up 23-20 as Naomi Dowd (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) and McCartney had the final kills as NIU went up by two sets.
 
The third set saw four ties before Western Michigan's 3-0 run, which Dowd ended with a kill. Alexa Hayes (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia West) had a pair of kills following a timeout to tie the game at 12 as Grevengoed had a pair to tie it two points later. The teams continued to battle down the stretch as Western Michigan reached set point on a kill at 24-22. McCartney had the final three kills of the game for the Huskies as they swept Western Michigan at home.
 
Up next, the Huskies hit the road as they travel to Bowling Green for games on October 9 and 10. Action will start at 5 p.m. CT both days with games broadcast live on ESPN+.
 
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