Box score.
DEKALB, Ill.— The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team fell victim to a Northern Illinois University comeback Friday, Nov. 7, here at the Convocation Center in DeKalb, as the Huskies took three straight sets to win the match, 3-2 (25-22, 25-20, 16-25, 14-25, 17-19).
With the loss, the Eagles fall to 9-19 overall and 3-10 in the Mid-American Conference, while NIU improves to 15-12 and 7-6, respectively.
Leading the way for the Eagles was junior Victoria Randolph (Cincinnati, Ohio-Mount Notre Dame) who collected another double-double, with 14 kills and 10 digs. Seniors Hayvolla Leite (Paraiba, Brazil-Indian Hills CC) and Jill Wolosiansky (Uniontown, Ohio-Green) added in double digit kills, as Leite had 14 and Wolosiansky recorded 10. Freshman Ashley Mason (East Lake, Ohio-Lake Catholic) had 29 assists on the night.
The Huskies had four players in double-digit kills, as Irene Johnson had a match-high 18. Kristin Hoffman recorded 43 assists in the win.
The Eagles and Huskies traded scores at the beginning of set one before the Green and White took a one point lead, 4-3. EMU continued to add to its lead, putting three more on the board compared to just one for NIU. A kill by Wolosiansky and Jennifer Swartz (Canton, Mich-Westland John Glenn) gave the Eagles a four-point lead, 9-5, but the Huskies would not go away, closing the gap to just one point at the 11-10 mark. Northern Illinois knotted the score at 11, but an error by an NIU attacker gave the Eagles the one-point lead. Two Eagle errors gave the edge to the Huskies, one in which they continued to build upon, leading by as much as five at 18-13 and then again at the 20-15 mark. The Eagles then put together a 5-1 run to cut the deficit to just one point, 21-20. A block by Swartz and Mason tied the score at 21. A kill by Randolph followed to give the Eagles the lead once again, one that they would never relinquish, as the Green and White took the set, 25-22.
Once again, the second set opened just as the first had, with the two teams battling back and forth, tying the score several times before the Eagles took the lead, 5-4. A kill by Swartz added one more onto the board for the Eagles. The Huskies added a point before Swartz went in for another kill, followed by Joi McKenzie (State College, Pa.-State College) to make it a three-point margin in favor of the Eagles, 8-5. After another point by the opponent, a kill by Randolph sparked a five-point run by the Green and White, putting EMU up, 14-7. Eastern saw its seven-point lead slip away as the Huskies rallied to tie the match at 17. Two attack miscues by the home team and a kill by Randolph gave the lead back to the Eagles, 20-17, as they would hold on for the 25-20 set win and the 2-0 match lead going into intermission.
The Eagles opened up the third set as they had the first two. Leading 11-7, the Eagles saw the Huskies put together eight unanswered points that would give Northern a 15-11 lead. The Eagles added five more points to the board, but it was not enough, as the home team would claim the third set, 25-16, to stay alive in the match.
Eastern struggled in the fourth set, as the Huskies were able to put together a lead early. Northern Illinois put several runs together, leading by as much as 11 in the set, winning 25-14, to force a fifth set.
The Eagles came out strong in the final set, opening on a 5-1 run. The Huskies climbed their way back and came within two, 6-4. The two teams traded back and forth with the Eagle holding the edge. Northern Illinois tied the set at nine and then again at 10, but Eagle built their lead to 14-10. The Huskies came back to tie the match at 14 and after trading scores back and forth, take the set and match win.
Eastern travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. to face Western Michigan University Saturday, Nov. 8. The match is set to begin at 7 p.m.
.png&width=84&height=84&quality=100&type=webp)