In a weekend full of sweeps, the NIU volleyball team experienced both victory and defeat.

On Friday, the Huskies finally met their match after five consecutive MAC victories as they fell to Ohio 25-23, 25-23, 25-12. Though the Huskies were defeated in just three sets against the Bobcats (17-4, 9-0 MAC), those final results do not do the game justice.

The first two sets were played with intensity on both sides of the net. The game inched on point by point until the score finally settled at 23-23. From there, the Bobcats were always able to grab those last two points to receive the win.

“They had a phenomenal effort,” said Ohio coach Ryan Theis. “It took everything we had to win.”

Somewhere in between sets two and three, the Huskies lost the intensity and confidence they held in the first two. Though they were hard pressed to earn a victory, things didn’t get off to a good start. NIU trailed Ohio for the entire set, until finally losing 25-12.

Despite the frustrating loss, the Huskies were able to put things behind them as they took on Kent State Saturday. This time, it was NIU’s turn to do the sweeping, winning 25-22, 25-12 and 30-28.

Meagan Schoenrock came out on fire, earning the Huskies their first three points and providing a service ace for their fifth.

“You can’t say enough for what Schoenrock did for them,” said Kent State coach Glen Conley. “Her hitting line was incredible. We just didn’t have an answer for her.”

The score remained close until a few costly errors made by Kent State allowed NIU to pull ahead in the first set, carrying that momentum into the second set.

It was not the first or second set, however, that had the audience holding its breath. In the final moments of set three, when the score climbed to 24-23 and the first set point occurred, the real tension began.

The Golden Flashes delayed the end of game as they scored the following point to even things out at 24-24. Six set points later, the Huskies finally earned the game winning point at 30-28, the most points yet to be scored in a single set this season for NIU.

“The third set was the most dramatic,” said NIU head coach Ray Gooden. “But every set was pretty intense.”

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