Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Northern Illinois
Eagles fall in Three Sets to Northern Illinois
10/13/2023 8:39:00 PM | Volleyball
The Eagles prepare to play host to Western Michigan Broncos
DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) – The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team suffered another three-set loss to the Huskies of Northern Illinois University as it closed out its time in DeKalb, Ill. Friday, Oct. 13 on Victor E. Court.
Callie Minshew (Brandon, Miss./Brandon/Mississippi State) finished with 16 kills on the day to lead the Eagles' offense while finishing with a hitting percentage of .333. Olivia Szylar (Itasca, Ill./Lake Park) led the team in digs with nine and contributed 14 helpers on the attacking side to finish just one dig shy of a double-double.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Eagles found themselves in an early hole, dropping the first set 25-21. Eastern trailed by as many as 10 points as Northern Illinois grabbed the advantage for good at 3-2 in a set that was knotted up two times before the Huskies took control.
SET 2 | A 25-19 second-set loss put Eastern Michigan behind two sets to none in the match. The Green and White trailed by as many as six points as Northern Illinois grabbed the advantage for good at 9-8 in a set that was tied up five times before the Huskies took over the lead.
SET 3 | EMU could not win set three and was swept by Northern Illinois. The Eagles fell in a tough set 25-16. Eastern Michigan trailed by as many as nine points as Northern Illinois grabbed the advantage for good at 6-5 in a set that was tied up four times before the Huskies took over the lead.
Match Notes
» Minshew recorded a match-high 16 kills in the loss after producing 17 the night before. It marked the 18th contest this season in which she has recorded double-digit kills and the 10th recording 15 or more.
» Szylar helped on 14 kills on the attacking side for her third consecutive match recording double-digit assists after collecting 10 against the Bulls, and 21 against the Huskies the night before.
» Additionally, Szylar registered a team-leading two aces in the loss for a season-high topping her one previously recorded against Chicago State University, Sept. 8. It marked just the second time this season in which the senior has earned a single ace.
» Seven Eagles contributed a kill in the match. In the 2023 season, the Eagles have had seven or more players record a single kill in all but three matches.
Historical Notes
» In 68 total contests, the Eagles have downed the Huskies in 29. After the two losses, Eastern currently holds a 10-23 away record when playing in DeKalb.
» Szylar registered 35 helpers in the series for a career total of 490. The senior sits just 10 assists away from the 500 career assists milestone.
Up Next
Following the road series in DeKalb, Ill., the Green and White prepare to play host to the Broncos of Western Michigan University, Oct. 20-21, inside the George Gervin GameAbove Center. Both matches are scheduled to stream on ESPN+ with Friday's match beginning at 6 p.m. and Saturday's at 4 p.m.
