Box Score

DeKALB, Ill. - The Fairfield University volleyball team ended the Northern Illinois University Invitational on a down note, falling to the host Huskies 3-0 (21-25, 17-25, 24-26) this afternoon. Northern Illinois improves to 6-5 while the Stags fall to 2-8, extending their skid to six matches. 

Sophomore Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) posted a team-high 10 kills along with seven digs. Sophomore Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) had six kills and four digs while junior Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) had six kills and two blocks. 

Senior Brandi Higa (Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Baptist Academy) had 11 digs for the match and is now six away from becoming the ninth Stag in program history to record 1,000 career digs. Higa was named to the Northern Illinois All-Invitational Team after averaging 4.39 digs per set during the four-match tournament.

Senior Karlie Urbaniak (Canton, Minn./Mabel-Canton) notched four total blocks along with seven digs and five kills while rookie Kendal Dirkin (Oak Park, Ill./Oak Park & River Forest) notched five total blocks. Fairfield out-blocked Northern Illinois, 8-7. 

Freshman Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii/Sacred Hearts Academy) chipped in with six digs while Lauren Balmert (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) assisted on 26 kills. 

The Stags opened the first set by going on a 7-3 tear, but the Huskies quickly closed the gap, tying the score, 7-7, on a kill by Allison McGlaughlin. With the score at 9-9, Northern Illinois went on a 7-2 run to take the lead. Fairfield fought back, pulling within 16-15 after a pair of Huskies errors, but Northern Illinois tallied the next three points to extend its lead. The Huskies took the set 25-21. 

With the two teams were tied 5-5 in early in the second set, Northern Illinois rattled off five unanswered points which would give the Huskies the lead to stay. Fairfield pulled within 17-15 on a kill by Mann, but Northern Illinois closed the set on an 8-2 run. 

Fairfield took an early lead in the third set but found itself down by as much five points as the frame moved along. The Stags did not back down, storming back to tie the set, 17-17, on a huge solo block by Urbaniak. Northern Illinois regained the lead after a 4-1 spurt but three straight kills by Hughes, Urbaniak, and Mann pulled the Stags within 22-21. Lopez and Urbaniak then tied the set at 24-24 with back-to-back kills, but the Huskies withstood the Stags taking the final two points of the day.  

Fairfield returns to action on Sept. 17 with a match at UConn. The Stags' conference and home opener takes place on Sept. 19 against Rider at 7 p.m. in Alumni Hall.