DeKALB | The possibility of redemption is what makes conference matches so exciting.

After falling to Western Michigan (17-9, 9-2 MAC) earlier this season, the NIU volleyball team will get a second chance to claim a victory, going up against the Broncos once more on the road at 7 p.m. tonight.

In their last matchup, the Huskies (13-12, 7-5 MAC) were able to take control of the first set, winning 25-17, out-killing the Broncos 17-10.

However, things went downhill from there as WMU gained momentum and won the next two sets 25-22 and 25-18.

“Our last match against Western, we started off really strong,” NIU head coach Ray Gooden said. “But we just couldn’t maintain it. We won the first set, and then we just we weren’t able to maintain it, so we know we have to come out and play well a lot longer than last time.”

Overall, the game was evenly matched. WMU achieved just one more kill than NIU throughout the four sets, with 44 compared to NIU’s 43.

However, one member of the Broncos in particular proved to be quite problematic offensively for the Huskies.

WMU senior outside hitter Michelle Moore led her team with 20 kills alone. The Huskies were unable to set up their defenses accordingly, and she could not be stopped.

If the Huskies are able to learn from the mistakes of their recent past, pulling off another MAC win is not out of their capabilities.

“We have to be more efficient,” Gooden said. “They’re one of the most efficient teams in our conference and one of the most relentless teams in terms of defense. We have to match that for it to be a competitive match.”

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