DeKALB, Ill.— The Northern Illinois University Huskies volleyball team (2-3) split its two matches Friday, falling in straight sets to Murray State University Racers (1-3) before bouncing back to defeat Portland State University Vikings (1-4), 3-1.
The Huskies posted set scores of 21-25, 24-26, 15-25 against Murray State before defeating Portland State in four sets (25-23, 25-21, 19-25, 25-17).
Rylea Alvin (Randolph, Wis./Randolph) led the Huskies with 11 kills and three blocks in the game against Murray State.
Viktoria Djukic (Podgorica, Montenegro) made her debut in a Huskie uniform, recording 21 assists and two aces against Murray State. In the Portland State match, she received her first start, tallied 25 assists and an ace for NIU.
Ava Grevengoed (Shorewood, Ill./Joliet West) marked her first double-double of the season against Portland State with 14 kills and 12 digs.
"I am really proud of the way our team bounced back tonight," noted
Sondra D'Amore, NIU head volleyball coach. "We had a tough morning, but they came back hungry and ready to compete. More than anything, I loved how we responded after the third set and being down in the fourth. We had a lot of different people step up and provide a spark for us in big moments, and while that can be challenging at times, it's so important for the growth of our team. Tonight was a great example of responding, staying together and finding a way to win."
Murray State Recap (NIU 0, Murray State 3)
NIU came out strong in the opening set, building an early advantage behind kills from Alvin, Grevengoed and
Autumn Flynn (Luxemburg, Wis./Luxemburg-Casco). The Huskies controlled much of the set, taking a five-point advantage at 13-8 on a
Naomi Dowd (Aurora, Ill./Waubonsie Valley) kill. Murray State responded with a 10-4 run to tie the set at 17. NIU saw a trio of kills from Alvin and Flynn, but the Racers ended the set on an 8-3 run.
Alvin had the first kill of the second set as NIU took an early 8-4 lead. The Racers had a series of attacking errors, giving NIU a six-point advantage at 12-6. NIU continued to find offensive success, taking an 18-11 lead late. Murray State had three unanswered points as they began to work their way back into the set. A kill by Flynn put the Huskies at set point, 24-22, before the Racers responded with four straight points to take the second set, 26-24.
Murray State opened the third set on an 11-3 run, which saw kills from Alvin, Grevengoed and
Charizma Lofton (Gainesville, Va./Gainesville). A kill by
Lilly Abney (Zionsville, Ind./Zionsville) started a 6-3 run late for the Huskies, which also featured a Djukic ace. Grevengoed had the final kill of the match for NIU, while Abney and Flynn were credited with the final blocks as Murray State swept the Huskies.
Portland State Recap (NIU 3, Portland State 1)
Dowd marked the first three kills of the opening set against the Vikings as NIU took a 7-2 lead early. A
Katie Pahl (Perrysburg, Ohio/Perrysburg) kill restored the Huskies' five-point advantage at 11-6 as the Vikings went on a 7-2 run to tie the set at 13. Pahl put the Huskies back in front briefly before the set was tied again at 17. NIU saw kills from Grevengoed and Flynn before a final tie at 23 on an attacking error. Pahl marked the final kill, while Alvin secured the set victory with a block.
Starting the second set, Pahl had two kills amid a 9-3 opening by the Huskie offense. The Vikings and Huskies began trading points, with NIU maintaining a sizable lead throughout the set. Back-to-back kills by Grevengoed put the Huskies up 20-14 before Portland State responded with a 7-4 run. Alvin ended the five-point run by Portland State to secure a 25-21 victory in the second set.
Grevengoed had a pair of kills in the opening moments of the third set as Portland State went on an 11-3 run. A Flynn kill started a 7-3 scoring streak for NIU, bringing the set within four. Portland State responded with four straight points before Pahl answered for NIU. Nearing the end of the set, the teams traded points as Grevengoed and
Kiana Shields (West Chicago, Ill./Wheaton Academy) had the final two NIU points as the Huskies dropped the third set, 25-19.
It was a battle early in the fourth set as Grevengoed and Dowd had two of the first four points for NIU. Portland State built a five-point advantage at 10-5 before an Alvin kill started a 10-3 run to regain the lead for NIU. Portland State would get within one at 16-15 before Shields put NIU up by two. The Huskies ended the fourth set on an 8-2 run to secure the match victory.
The Huskies return to action on September 5 at 6 p.m. as they take on Lindenwood University in the final game of the NIU Invitational.
New and returning fans can purchase general admission, family 4-pack, or courtside seats to watch the Huskies this fall with general admission tickets starting at just $35. The Family 4-Pack is available for $90 ($22.50 each). Courtside seats are priced at $120 for the season. To purchase tickets online, please click
here.
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