The University of Akron Athletics
University of Akron
6-9,2-1MAC
Northern Illinois
2-11,0-3MAC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Akron | 25 | 23 | 25 | 17 | 15 | 3 |
| NIU | 19 | 25 | 23 | 25 | 11 | 2 |
Zips Defeat Northern Illinois on Thursday
October 03 | Women's Volleyball
DEKALB, Ill. - The Akron volleyball team beat the Northern Illinois Huskies in five sets (25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-11) Thursday on the road at Victor E Court.
The Zips offense was paced by Emanouela Christodoulou, who finished with a career-high 19 kills while accumulating a hitting percentage of .333, and by Lauren Baker, who had 14 kills. Akron got 19 digs from Vanessa Del Real along with six blocks from Karleighana Jones and five rejections from Melisa Tore. Christodoulou and Ellen Kinnaird recorded eight blocks with the pair each recording four. Eliska Vytiskova recorded 28 assists for the Zips while Martina Villani followed close behind with 23.
The victory improved the Zips' record to 6-9 overall and 2-1 in MAC play.
Game Notes
» Christodoulou recorded a career-high 19 kills against the Huskies to lead the Akron attack.
» Villani had a team-high two aces in the win.
» Akron got a team-high 19 digs from Del Real.
» Akron attackers were helped by a team-high 28 assists from Vytiskova.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Zips took the first set 25-19 thanks to a solid showing on the attacking side. Akron put together a .333 attack percentage with 15 kills in the set victory. The Zips ended on a strong note, stretching their lead to its largest point in the set to finish out the stanza. got a solid defensive performance from a front row that blocked five Northern Illinois attacks in the stanza.
SET 2 | Akron then dropped the second set 25-23, evening the match at a set apiece. The Zips couldn't hang on in a back-and-forth set, losing in a stanza that featured four lead changes and was tied 14 times. Neither team led by more than three points along the way.
SET 3 | Akron put the second-set loss behind and grabbed a 2-1 match lead with a victory in the third set. The Zips took the lead for good at 15-14 in a set that showcased three lead changes before Akron took over in the second half of the stanza. They then carried that lead to a 25-23 set win. The Akron offense also got a boost from three aces in the set.
SET 4 | Akron couldn't finish off a four-set win as the Huskies forced a fifth set with a 25-17 victory. The Zips fell behind on the first point and never took the lead before falling in the set.
SET 5 | Akron and Northern Illinois went back and forth all game, trading set wins until the Zips took set five 15-11 and the match. The Zips led from the first point on in set five to secure the victory. Akron ended on a high note, opening its biggest lead of the stanza, four points, to close out the set, collecting 11 kills while only notching one attack error in the set.
What's Next?
The Zips face the Huskies in the final match of the series on Friday, October 4 for a 7 p.m. start.
