Buffalo, NY — Northern Illinois Volleyball (11-4, 4-1 MAC) fought to the end but broke an eight-game winning streak Saturday afternoon against the Buffalo Bulls (25-23, 25-22, 25-21) at the Alumni Arena.
“They had a very physical team and played really well. They did a great job defending the home court,” the volleyball head coach said. reguden“Today’s story is that in every set, maybe three or four games are the difference between winning and they were lucky to win most of them today,”
How it happened: In the first frame, Emily Dykes (Winterville, NC/Aiden Griffon) killed NIU’s 40 for the first time of the day, but the Bulls (10-7, 2-3 MAC) followed with a 6-2 lead to score. Huskies trail by one point (8-9) Brianna Scullick (East Troy/East Troy, WI) from Ella Mikachevic (Brunswick, OH / Franciscans of Padua), but another 5-1 Buffalo game widened the gap. The Mavericks fought back and pressed for a four-game winning streak, but eventually lost 25-23.
In the second inning, NIU led 4-1 on an offensive error from Buffalo, giving the Huskies a 16-15 lead.The two teams continued to clash while back-to-back blocking Charlie Artimo (Milford/Farmington Hills Mercy, Michigan), Sammy Lockwood (Cary, Ill./Prairie Ridge) and Mihacevich made it 23-22, the Bulls. But Buffalo’s two quick kills ended the second, 25-22.
The Huskies found themselves trailing early after leading the Bulls 5-1 in the final set, but fought back after a 3-0 swing gave NIU an 8-7 lead.The two teams later exchanged points Nicolette Nadick (Willowbrook, IL/Hinsdale Central) Mihacevic’s kill gave the Bulls a 22-21 lead. From there, three quick scores helped Buffalo seal a sweep against NIU.
Notable people: The Huskies posted 11 team blocks compared to Buffalo’s four — Lockwood led with six, while Mikachevic, Artimo and Dax each had four. Likewise, Atiemo and Dykes lead the team with 10 kills each.Mikachevic 34 assists Francesca Bertucci (Chicago, Illinois/De La Salle) Leading the bumper with 15 taps.
Next: The Huskies have a well-deserved break before continuing the parade on Friday, October 10. 7 When Bowling Green comes to town, duel at Victor E. Court at 6 p.m.
“It’s been a challenging phase. So, I’m very proud of what our team has accomplished so far. We just know every game is going to be a scrimmage and we just need to go back and rest for what’s coming Get ready for another tough weekend.”