Eastern Michigan Athletics
Friday, September 29
DeKalb, Ill.
7 p.m.
Eastern Michigan University
10-9 (2-1MAC)
3
at
2
Northern Illinois
1-17 (0-3MAC)
1
2
3
4
5
F
Eastern Michigan
25
24
25
23
15
3
Northern Illinois
20
26
20
25
8
2
EMU Volleyball Tops NIU In Five
9/29/2017 10:56:00 PM | Volleyball
The match was highlighted with some of the best individual performances of the season
DEKALB, Ill. (EMUEagles.com) — The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team topped Northern Illinois University, 3-2 (25-20, 24-26, 25-21, 23-25, 15-8) in an exciting #MACtion bout Friday, Sept. 29, in DeKalb, Ill.
EMU (10-9, 2-1 MAC) edged NIU (1-17, 0-3 MAC) in kills (66-53), hitting percentage (.237-.145), aces (4-2), assists (60-48), digs (78-68), and blocks (17-10).
Eastern's offensive performance was led by freshman Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan), as she captured her fifth double-double of the season and third in the last four games by finishing with 14 kills and a career-high 19 digs. Junior Jordan Smith (Solon, Iowa-Solon) also notched a double-double, her sixth of the season, with a 12-kill and 15-dig effort.
Senior Samantha Falco (Antioch, Ill.-Antioch Community) had an impressive day on the defensive front, tallying a career-high 11 blocks, while redshirt junior Mallory Rajewski (Midland, Mich.-Midland) notched 30 assists, which ranks as her second-most this season. Redshirt sophomore Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) added to the offensive show by tying her season-high of 13 kills, and Kelly Ferguson (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) tacked on 11 kills of her own.
The Eagles started the match off hot, jumping out to a 6-2 lead with kills from Falco, Smith, and Strefling. EMU controlled the set from there, taking 13 of the next 19 points to hold a comfortable 19-12 advantage. The Huskies refused to go away however, putting together a string of five-straight points to cut EMU's lead, 22-17, and force the Green and White into taking its first timeout of the game. Eastern remained strong out of the timeout, ultimately shutting the door on NIU to take the first set, 25-20.
Set two began with both teams taking turns with the lead. Four lead changes took place before either team reached the 10-point mark. NIU managed to pull away first, expanding its lead, 17-13. The Huskies built on their advantage late, pushing the score to 20-15. The Eagles fought back, forcing NIU into its first timeout of the set by cutting the score to 20-17. After the Green and White scrapped its way back into the game, tying the set 24-24, the Huskies came out victorious with a kill and an EMU attacking error to take set two, 26-24.
EMU put together four straight points to start set three, 4-0. The lead was shortly lived, as NIU climbed back to tie the score at five apiece. The set continued to go back and forth as the score was tied at six different points up until the 20-20 mark. The Eagles put forth an impressive effort to steal the set, taking the last five points to end it, 25-21, and take the match lead, 2-1.
Much like the third set, the Eagles got off to a quick start in set four with four consecutive points. However, this time Eastern was able to maintain the lead until the Huskies tied it up, 12-12. A pair of kills from NIU helped them take the lead for the first time in the set, 14-12, forcing EMU into its first timeout. Eastern kept it close out of the timeout, holding NIU in check and not letting them get too far out of reach. Eastern tied the score at 18-apiece but couldn't jump ahead, then proceeded to give up two-straight points before calling a timeout to make some adjustments. The Eagles came out of the timeout fighting, bringing the score back within one and forcing NIU to take a timeout as they led, 23-22. However, Eastern couldn't climb all the way back, falling in the fourth set, 25-23.
Eastern came out of the gates determined in the fifth set, taking six of the first eight points. The Eagles controlled the whole set, never letting NIU come within three points of their lead. The set ended with three straight kills from the Green and White, two from Haut and the final from Strefling to win the match in the tie breaker.
EMU has a quick turnaround as it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. tomorrow, Sept. 30, for a match against in-state rival, Western Michigan. The match is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.
EMU (10-9, 2-1 MAC) edged NIU (1-17, 0-3 MAC) in kills (66-53), hitting percentage (.237-.145), aces (4-2), assists (60-48), digs (78-68), and blocks (17-10).
Eastern's offensive performance was led by freshman Franki Strefling (Niles, Mich.-Buchanan), as she captured her fifth double-double of the season and third in the last four games by finishing with 14 kills and a career-high 19 digs. Junior Jordan Smith (Solon, Iowa-Solon) also notched a double-double, her sixth of the season, with a 12-kill and 15-dig effort.
Senior Samantha Falco (Antioch, Ill.-Antioch Community) had an impressive day on the defensive front, tallying a career-high 11 blocks, while redshirt junior Mallory Rajewski (Midland, Mich.-Midland) notched 30 assists, which ranks as her second-most this season. Redshirt sophomore Cassie Haut (Monroe, Mich.-St. Mary Catholic Central) added to the offensive show by tying her season-high of 13 kills, and Kelly Ferguson (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) tacked on 11 kills of her own.
The Eagles started the match off hot, jumping out to a 6-2 lead with kills from Falco, Smith, and Strefling. EMU controlled the set from there, taking 13 of the next 19 points to hold a comfortable 19-12 advantage. The Huskies refused to go away however, putting together a string of five-straight points to cut EMU's lead, 22-17, and force the Green and White into taking its first timeout of the game. Eastern remained strong out of the timeout, ultimately shutting the door on NIU to take the first set, 25-20.
Set two began with both teams taking turns with the lead. Four lead changes took place before either team reached the 10-point mark. NIU managed to pull away first, expanding its lead, 17-13. The Huskies built on their advantage late, pushing the score to 20-15. The Eagles fought back, forcing NIU into its first timeout of the set by cutting the score to 20-17. After the Green and White scrapped its way back into the game, tying the set 24-24, the Huskies came out victorious with a kill and an EMU attacking error to take set two, 26-24.
EMU put together four straight points to start set three, 4-0. The lead was shortly lived, as NIU climbed back to tie the score at five apiece. The set continued to go back and forth as the score was tied at six different points up until the 20-20 mark. The Eagles put forth an impressive effort to steal the set, taking the last five points to end it, 25-21, and take the match lead, 2-1.
Much like the third set, the Eagles got off to a quick start in set four with four consecutive points. However, this time Eastern was able to maintain the lead until the Huskies tied it up, 12-12. A pair of kills from NIU helped them take the lead for the first time in the set, 14-12, forcing EMU into its first timeout. Eastern kept it close out of the timeout, holding NIU in check and not letting them get too far out of reach. Eastern tied the score at 18-apiece but couldn't jump ahead, then proceeded to give up two-straight points before calling a timeout to make some adjustments. The Eagles came out of the timeout fighting, bringing the score back within one and forcing NIU to take a timeout as they led, 23-22. However, Eastern couldn't climb all the way back, falling in the fourth set, 25-23.
Eastern came out of the gates determined in the fifth set, taking six of the first eight points. The Eagles controlled the whole set, never letting NIU come within three points of their lead. The set ended with three straight kills from the Green and White, two from Haut and the final from Strefling to win the match in the tie breaker.
EMU has a quick turnaround as it travels to Kalamazoo, Mich. tomorrow, Sept. 30, for a match against in-state rival, Western Michigan. The match is slated to begin at 3:30 p.m.
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Team Stats
EMU
NIU
Kills
66
53
Errors
26
28
Attempts
169
173
Hitting %
.237
.145
Points
87.0
65.0
Assists
60
48
Aces
4
2
Blocks
17.0
10.0
Game Leaders
Kills-Aces-Blocks
Kills
14
Aces
0
Blocks
4
Kills
13
Aces
0
Blocks
9
Kills
12
Aces
2
Blocks
2
Kills
11
Aces
0
Blocks
11
Players Mentioned
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