NIU Invitational - Season Opening Weekend

[WuDrWu]

Made up call costs WSU the match. 20-18 in the fifth. At least we're fighting....I like the effort and the fire but we have a long long way to go.

[WuDrWu]

Hold the phone....overrule! 19-19

[WuDrWu]

Match point Shockers....

[WuDrWu]

20s....both teams really giving it their all.

[WuDrWu]

NOW THAT'S GUTTY!

[WuDrWu]

22-20 and a HUGE grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat!

WAY TO GO LADIES!

[1972Shocker]

20s....both teams really giving it their all.

You can say that again.

[shocks02]

Great victory! They're showing some heart out there!

[1972Shocker]

22-20 and a HUGE grabbing victory from the jaws of defeat!

WAY TO GO LADIES!

Shocks fight off 5 match points (at least) in Set 5. I would not have given you a plug nickel for our chances in this match when we trailed 14-19 in Set 4.

Then in Set 5 we had to rally from 12-14 to get this into position to win.

Jackie may have saved the match at 15-16 with a great dig on a serve that clipped the tape pretty good.

If nothing else you have to give the young ladies credit for just keep plugging away in this match winning one through competitve toughness.

[1972Shocker]

But gosh darn ladies 14 service errors (25 in two matches) has to improve. And by golly we have to find some help for Jackie among our DS group.

BTW, I'm expecting another tough match tomorrow against North Dakota State.

In the meantime, I will be a real big Northern Illinois fan in there match this evening with New Mexico State.

So far the competition in the tournament has been tougher than I was expecting, but we really need that.

[1972Shocker]

Don't really have a clue how the Shocks will do this year, but that was a very entertaining volleyball match.

One of the very best 5th sets I have seen. 22-20.

As @WuDrWu stated both teams were absolutely giving everything they had after already playing 4 tough sets over 2 hours.

[WuDrWu]

If my count is right, I have only 3 redshirt options left for WSU, 2 matches in, with Roddy, Mostrom and Brownlee the only ones that haven't played (Loney has already redshirted and I believe the transfer, Byers has and Dudzinski is out with an injury).

With the way the littles have struggled, it wouldn't surprise me at all to see Dani in the lineup tomorrow or next week.

[WuDrWu]

By the way, our passing right now is atrocious....I lost count of the number of times Feekin was in a full sprint to get to a point to dive and try to set not just someone, but anyone. She ran more today than Hoop did all last year.

And that's IGNORING the 37 overpasses that usually resulted in quick kills against us.

[WuDrWu]

If Jordan's arm is ok we better get her some time whenever possible because Chelsey's not going to hold up taking this kind of beating for 30+ matches.

[1972Shocker]

Yeah, Masher's redshirt came of today. I don't think Dr. Skill played at all today. But if you are going to take these redshirts off you may as well let the kids play and gains some valuable experience.

In the end you have to play that kids that can perform when they turn on the lights. However, consistency may be a challenge for us this year.