DeKALB, Ill.—Despite starting off strong, the Northern Illinois University Huskies volleyball team (11-14, 4-12 MAC) fell in five sets to the Ohio University Bobcats (13-15, 11-5 MAC) in a five-set battle. The Huskies took the opening sets 25-15, 25-12 before the Bobcats took the final three sets, 23-25, 22-25, 16-18.
 
Autumn Flynn (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco) led all players with 12 kills, as she hit .308 on the night.
 
Rylea Alvin (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) matched her career-best in blocks with nine on the night. Naomi Dowd (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) matched her career-best in blocks and attacking percentage.

"You always want your next match to be better, and it absolutely was. The first two sets, they (the team) came out really strong. Ohio made some lineup changes and put pressure on us," said head coach Sondra D'Amore. "It was a good fight from our team tonight. I'm proud of the team for the way they showed up, especially where they are in the season. They fought and played with heart."
 
How It Happened
 
Alvin had the first kill of the game for the Huskies as NIU took a 4-2 lead on a service error by the Bobcats. Flynn was a part of back-to-back blocks with Dowd and Emma McCartney (Cleveland, Ohio/Chadron) as NIU built their lead to four. The Huskies offense began to click with three straight kills from Dowd and Ava Grevengoed (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet West) to force an Ohio timeout with the Huskies up 10-4. An Alexa Hayes (Magnolia, Texas/Magnolia West) kill by the Huskies up by six at 14-8 before NIU went up by seven on an ace. Flynn had the final two kills of the first set as NIU took the opening set 25-15.
 
Flynn had a hand in two for the first four points for the Huskies in the second set as NIU took a 4-1 lead early. The Bobcats got within one at 4-3 before Flynn recorded her third kill of the set via Kylie Schulze (Wonder Lake, Ill./Woodstock North). Grevengoed had a trio of kills and was joined by a pair from Alvin as the Huskies took a 15-9 lead at the media timeout. Returning from the timeout, Flynn had two kills as the Huskies led by seven at 17-10. Grevengoed recorded the final kill of the set while Flynn had the final ace as NIU won 25-12 for a two-set lead.
 
McCartney and Schulze recorded the first kills of the third set for the Huskies as Ohio took an early 5-3 lead. Grevengoed put the Huskies back within one at 6-5 with a kill before Ohio went on a 7-2 run. Following a Grevengoed kill, Alvin, McCartney, and Hayes teamed up for blocks as NIU came within on at 14-13. Ohio continued to hold the Huskies offense attack at bay before a series of attacking errors but the Huskies at 21-22. McCartney had the final kill of the set while Delaney Steers (Brownsburg, Ind./Brownsburg) had an ace in the final points as Ohio took the third set 25-23.
 
Hayes had the first kill of the fourth set for NIU as the Huskies opened on a 5-1 run. McCartney had a pair of kills while Alvin and Hayes each had one as the Huskies took a 15-8 lead head into the media timeout. The Bobcats fought back to tie the game at 17 as a kill by Dowd gave NIU their final two-point lead at 19-17. Alvin recorded the final kill of the set as Ohio forced a fifth set at 25-22.
 
An opening ace from Grevengoed was how the Huskies started the fifth set before a McCartney kill put NIU up 3-1. The Bobcats fought back to tie the game at six before taking a two-point lead at 10-8, forcing an NIU timeout. The Huskies and Bobcats traded points as a block by Alvin and McCartney forced a timeout at 12-11. Hayes recorded two kills in the closing points as the Huskies and Bobcats went to extra points, with Ohio winning 18-16.
 
The Huskies will hit the road for a final time this season as they travel to the Golden Flashes of Kent State on November 14-15. First serve is set for 5 p.m. CT in Kent, Ohio on November 14.
 
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