Box Score

NEWARK, Del. - Despite huge efforts by junior outside hitter Kelly Bacon's and sophomore setter Jillian Briner's double-doubles, the Northeastern volleyball team ended its nine-game winning streak in a five-set marathon match, 2-3 (28-26, 19-25, 25-20, 17-25, 10-15), at Delaware on Friday night. The Blue Hens dealt the Huskies their first conference loss of the season as NU slips to 17-4 overall and 6-1 in CAA  action.

Bacon highlighted the Huskies' efforts with a season-best 20 kills alongside 18 digs. Briner's double-double consisted of 13 kills and 12 digs with a .257 hitting percentage to lead the Huskies in attacking. Senior captain Nicole Bishop logged seven kills and two blocks while sophomore libero Natalia Skiba's 31 digs were both a match and season best. Junior Nichole Kurz also tossed down 13 kills for her second highest total of the season since the Sacred Heart match (14 kills – Aug. 25).

The Huskies took control of the first set early and stormed out to a 5-1 advantage after Bacon's offensive firepower dictated the tempo. But as the first set played out several times, Delaware continued to battle back every time it was a few points back.

The Blue Hens earned their first point on a Skiba service error and eventually rallied back to tie up, 5-5, after three-consecutive Northeastern attacking errors.

Bacon stopped up the bleeding with another powerful swat, but the match continued on to an 8-8 count before the Huskies went on another rally. After a long hit by UD, the Huskies posted three-straight kills capped by a Briner smash to take a 12-8 lead.

Delaware closed the gap again with sturdy defense paired with a couple NU errors, 12-12, but a junior Ina Kamenova kill, junior Janelle Tucker ace and a Blue Hens' error pushed momentum back onto Northeastern's side, 15-12.

Delaware stormed back and rattled off four-consecutive points to take its first lead of the match, 16-15. Huskies' head coach Ken Nichols called for a timeout and the Huskies came out of the breather refreshed and recaptured the lead, 18-17. The first set continued down a tight path until the Blue Hens built a quick two-point lead, 21-19, after a Briner error.

Northeastern called its second timeout of the set and recuperated after capturing a two-point lead, 23-21, thanks to four-straight points, including a junior Brianna Hollis service ace. Delaware hailed for its first timeout of the set and eventually forced the Huskies into an extra point match after a kill to tie it up, 25-25. Bacon's corner kill coupled with a UD ball handling error gave Northeastern the narrow first-set victory, 27-25.

The beginning of the second set followed the traits of the first frame. Northeastern and Delaware duked it out to an 8-8 start before the Blue Hens pulled away to take a 13-9 lead capped by an Ariel Shonk ace. With the sizable advantage, Delaware took control of the second set and never looked back.

Northeastern would stay within four points on just two other occasions down the stretch. Delaware's passing was too quick for the Huskies and UD ended up dominating the second stanza, 25-19.

Kurz tallied the first point on a successful swing to initiate the third set, but Delaware used its home court advantage to capture the next five points and a 5-1 cushion.

Bacon's kill and Bishop's solo stuff at the net cut Delaware's lead to within three, 7-4, but a Chelsea Lawrence service ace pushed the advantage back out to five for Delaware, 9-4. The Blue Hens gained their biggest buffer of the third set after a Kurz attacking error, 11-6.

Just when it looked like Northeastern was on the ropes, the Huskies retaliated with an 8-3 run to tie the set up midway through the third stanza, 14-14.

Bacon and Bishop teamed up to issue the Blue Hens a heavy dose of heavy hitting from both sides. Bacon notched three kills during the run before Bishop's bash through the middle tied the set up, 14-14.

Briner joined in and offered a dump kill followed by a big swing from the side to give Northeastern its first lead, 17-16, since the first point of the third set. A Kamenova service error tied it up again, but a Kurz kill, Tucker ace and dual block by Bacon and Kurz put three points between the Huskies and Blue Hens, 20-17, and Northeastern never looked back.

Bacon continued to swing her way through Delaware's front lines down the stretch and the Huskies capped off the third-set victory after a facing six-point deficit, 25-20.

Northeastern's momentum carried through the early goings of the fourth set after the Huskies ran out to an 8-3 advantage. Six of the Huskies' eight points came from kills, but Delaware responded quickly with a 6-1 run to knot it up, 9-9.

Both squads traded points and brought the fourth set to an 11-11 count before Hollis' service error triggered a four-point run for Delaware that the Blue Hens never relinquished.

Kurz stopped the bleeding with a kill to keep the set within four points, 16-12, but Delaware had too much momentum on its side. The Blue Hens won nine of the next 13 points capped by a Katie Hillman kill to force the match to a fifth and final set, 25-17.

Hillman registered two of the first three points of the fifth set with a pair of Blue Hens' kills to set the precedent from the start.

Alissa Alker tossed down a sturdy kill followed by two more from Lawrence to put Delaware ahead, 6-2. Bacon responded with a kill, but MacKenzie Olsen countered with one of her own to offset NU's advances. Senior Jasmine Marta and Kurz both misplayed a couple of attacks to out the ball in the Blue Hens' court, 11-4.

Northeastern offered up one final effort with three-straight points capped by Bacon's 20th kill of the night to make if 13-8. Delaware's Bonnie Kenny called for a timeout and after the break, the Blue Hens won two of the next four points to capture victory, 15-10, and end Northeastern's winning streak in five sets.

Northeastern stays on the road for a Sunday afternoon matinee at Towson on Sunday, Oct. 21, at 1 p.m. Sunday's game will have huge implications and hopefully get the Huskies back on track to win the CAA regular season crown.