Huskies Outlast Miami in Five Sets in Conference Home Opener

DEKALB, Ill. – The Northern Illinois University volleyball team scored eight of the final 10 points in the fifth set as the Huskies downed Miami, 18-25, 25-23, 23-25, 25-17, 25-12, on Friday night (Sept. 29) at Victor E. Court. Emily Dykes (Winterville, N.C./Ayden-Grifton) recorded a team-high 15 kills and five blocks, Nikolette Nedic (Willowbrook, Ill./Hinsdale Central) added 11 kills and Charli Atiemo (Milford, Mich./Farmington Hills Mercy) chipped in 10 kills and seven blocks as NIU improved to 2-1 in Mid-American Conference play with its second consecutive five-set win. 

Crew Hoffmeier (Louisville, Ky./Assumption) tallied a match-high 23 digs and NIU recorded 11 total team blocks. Ellie Hanson had a match-high 16 kills for Miami.

“Really proud of how we handled the 8-6 switch (in the fifth set),” said NIU head coach Sondra Parys. “We just instilled belief, belief, belief, that’s all you can do. Awesome victory at home.

“We are at our best when we are composed, we are executing and we truly believe that we are confident and are able to do it, and we did.”

The Huskies trailed 2-1 after three sets but NIU hit .406 in the fourth to help force a fifth frame. In front by a pair, 9-7, NIU used a 4-0 burst to push its lead to a half-dozen. A Miami service error started the run before kills from Dykes and Atiemo, followed by a block by Atiemo and Katie Erdmann (Forreston, Ill./Forreston) gave the Huskies a 13-7 advantage. Miami pulled back within two, 17-15, before a kill from Isabelle Percoco (Charlotte, N.C./South Mecklenburg), a block by Savanah Brandt (Pearl City, Ill./Pearl City) and Nazli Güvener (Ankara, Turkey/Elvankent Sinar), a kill by Dykes and two service aces from Ella Mihacevich (Brunswick, Ohio/Padua Franciscan) helped put the set out of reach. 

NIU had 14 kills and just one error in the set, the Huskies also recorded five service aces with Mihacevich tallying three and Güvener adding a pair. 

In the fifth set, Miami led 10-7 until a kill by Brandt and a RedHawk error brought NIU back within one. Brooke Jackson then had a kill for Miami to give the RedHawks an 11-9 advantage but a kill from Erdmann, followed by back-to-back kills from Dykes, gave NIU a 12-11 lead. 

A kill by Hanson tied the match at 12 before Dykes added two more kills to give the Huskies a match point and Atiemo finished off the match with a kill on an overpass to give NIU the victory. 

Dykes had four of NIU’s nine kills in the fifth set. 

Miami took the opening set of the contest, 25-18. The RedHawks led by four, 16-12, and used a four-point burst to double that advantage to 20-12 as they went on to take the set by seven. 

Chelsea Williams had six kills for the RedHawks in the opening set, Hoffmeier had eight digs for the Huskies in the set as she eclipsed the 1,000-career dig plateau.

“Super proud of her,” said Parys of Hoffmeier reaching 1,000 career digs. “I’m proud that it happened here, she is constantly pushing every single game to be her best self and I have no doubt there will be many, many more to come. Excited to celebrate her after a win.”

NIU led by as much as six, 12-6, early in the second set. Miami chipped away at the Huskie lead and pulled even at 21 on a kill by Maggie McCrary. NIU answered with the next three points however as Nedic began the spurt with a kill, Percoco and Atiemo added a block and a kill from Atiemo gave the Huskies a 24-21 advantage. Miami fought off a pair of set points before a RedHawk error gave the set to the Huskies, 25-23. 

NIU had 15 kills in set two, hitting .344. Erdmann had a set-high four kills, and the Huskies held Miami to just a .182 hitting percentage with 13 kills and seven errors. Atiemo had four blocks in the set and Dykes added three. 

The third set featured 10 ties and four lead changes and was tied at 23 until a kill from Williams and a kill by Hanson gave the set to the visitors. 

Williams had 15 kills and a team-high 14 digs in the match for Miami. 

NIU and Miami will conclude their two-match weekend series on Saturday, Sept. 30, at 3 p.m. at Victor E. Court. Tickets are available at NIUHuskies.com/tickets.