NIU Huskies Volleyball Team Extends Home Winning Streak to Five

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NIU Huskies Volleyball Team Extends Home Winning Streak to Five
Angelos, Wicinski tally double-figure kills
 
DeKALB - Sarah Angelos tallied 10 kills and a .471 hitting percentage to lead the Northern Illinois volleyball team to a 3-0 victory over Bowling Green, Saturday at Victor E. Court in the Convocation Center.
 
The Huskies improved to 24-5 overall and 10-4 in Mid-American Conference play, as they outhit Bowling Green in every set and .284 to .179 for the match. The Falcons fell to 8-21 overall with a 2-12 record in league play.
 
“We did a really good job of staying composed and not letting a lot of things affect us,” NIU head coach Ray Gooden said. “We came in with a ton of energy because it’s been so long since we’ve been at home.”
 
The match was the first for the Huskies in DeKalb since Oct. 16. NIU is now 13-2 at the Convocation Center. The win helped NIU bounce back from a five-set loss at Western Michigan two nights ago.
 
“We really wanted to have a good showing, especially after the tough loss on Thursday,” Gooden said. “It was nice for us to get back, let loose and feel comfortable again.”
 
Freshman Lauren Wicinski led the Huskies with 11 kills, but it was Angelos and Mary Kurish who were most efficient on the attack. Angelos tallied 10 kills on 17 swings with only two errors, while Kurish went 9-for-14 with just one misfire. Meghan Romo chipped in seven kills with a .333 hitting percentage, while Allison McGlaughlin added five kills.
“On the whole it was a really good team effort,” Gooden said.
 
Northern Illinois’ strong defensive play at the net helped the Huskies achieve 14 block assists, the most since Oct. 2 against Miami (OH). The Huskies added three aces to that total. Gooden puts blocks and aces in a special category when breaking down the match.
 “Anytime our team can score some ‘fast points,’ I think it helps us,” he explained. “Fast points we equate to either aces or stuff blocks.”
 
The Huskies jumped out to a 7-2 lead in the first set. Kurish put down two attacks during the run, which forced Bowling Green to call an early timeout. BGSU would battle back to tie the set at 12-12 and hung around until a 6-0 run cued by the service of Sue Hayes gave NIU a 23-17 advantage, which they carried to a set one win.
 
In set two, NIU never trailed, but the Falcons stayed within three points throughout. The set stayed even into extra points, when a Wicinski kill from Kristin Hoffman gave NIU a 26-24 win. Bolstered by the confidence of a two-set lead and a how crowd of 532, NIU took an early 4-1 lead in the final set. The Huskies led for the duration of the set, finishing the Falcons with a 7-2 run.
 
The Huskies have two more home games to wrap-up the regular season. NIU hosts Eastern Michigan, Nov. 12 at 6 p.m. in game one of a Huskie double-header with the men’s basketball team. Basketball begins at 8 p.m. as the Huskies host Northwestern. Fans who purchase a ticket to volleyball also receive general admission to the NIU basketball game. NIU volleyball will conclude the regular season the next day, when it hosts Central Michigan at 7 p.m.