Box Score

Postgame interview with Jill Briner and Ken Nichols (YouTube.com)

2012 Volleyball Digital Media Guide

BOSTON - Suffocating offense and sturdy defense propelled Northeastern (12-3, 1-0 CAA) to its first Colonial Athletic Association victory of the season with a 3-1 (25-14, 20-25, 25-15, 25-20) triumph over Hofstra on Saturday night at Solomon Court.

Sophomore setter Jillian Briner logged her first double-double of the season, tying for a match-high of 14 kills and 19 assists. The Oak Park, Ill., native also lead the Huskies with a pair of service aces and chipped in on a pair of blocks. The second-year setter was precise all night, landing 14 kills on 20 swings (.600), including a perfect 6-for-6 performance in the opening set.

Senior captain Nicole Bishop turned in a strong offensive day with 10 kills on 14 swings, leading the match in attacking percentage (.643). The Park City, Utah, native also led Northeastern with four blocks. Junior Kelly Bacon's 17 kills were a match-best. The Temecula, Calif., native hit for .359 on the night with a team-high 39 attacks. Bacon also contributed seven digs and a pair of assists.

Junior captain Janelle Tucker was the Huskies' defensive stopper on Saturday night, finishing with a team-best 18 digs. It marks the first time sophomore libero Natalia Skiba did not lead Northeastern in digs this season. The Westmont, Ill., native still had a peak performance; recording 17 digs with three assists. Junior Nichole Kurz landed six kills on 14 attempts (.214) and blocked three Pride swings. Senior Jasmine Marta placed some timely kills on the evening, totaling five on nine attempts.

Northeastern and Hofstra duked it out to a 2-2 start, but the Huskies went on one of their patented runs and went ahead, 7-3, after a 5-1 spurt. The Pride returned the favor and strung together a four-point run to lock the game back up, 7-7.

Briner took matters into her own hands and tallied two of NU's next four-consecutive points to force a Hofstra timeout with the Huskies leading, 12-8.

The timeout ended up benefitting Northeastern. Right out of the break, the Huskies amassed a 7-2 run and put the first set out of reach with a 19-10 buffer. After Hofstra scored on a kill from Nikki Kinnier, Briner tossed down a service ace and forced Hofstra into its second timeout with Northeastern sitting on a 10-point cushion, 21-11. Kurz finished off the Pride with a cross-court kill to post the 25-14 first frame win. Briner finished the set with a perfect 6-for-6 attacking clip.

The second set was a much different story for the Huskies. Kinnier painted the corner for the first kill of the game and Hofstra never trailed in the second stanza.

Bacon registered NU's first two kill of the second set to cut into the Pride's advantage, 6-4, but Kelsie Wills negated Bacon's attack with a kill of her own. Hofstra stretched its buffer out to five points, 12-7, and head coach Ken Nichols called for a break facing a five-point deficit.

Emily Burke maintained HU's advantage with a kill to make it 17-12, but Northeastern nearly tied it up with a 5-1 run spurt to edge within a point, 18-17.  Hofstra called timeout with the Huskies threatening, but Hofstra won the next three points and never looked back, winning the second set, 25-20.

Even though Hofstra tallied the first point of the third set, Northeastern throttled the Pride the rest of the way. Kinnier's attacking error triggered a 7-0 Huskies' run to tip the court in Northeastern's favor for the third set.

Tucker made a huge dig to set up another Bacon kill to build Northeastern's momentum early on. Bacon notched two kills while Bishop and Briner each had one in the Huskies early run. Senior Jasmine Marta and Bishop teamed up to give NU its largest lead of the match, 13-3, with respective kills.

The Pride went on a bit of run, winning five of the next six points to close in on the Huskies, 14-8. After a bad set by Briner, Hofstra was within four points, 15-11, and Northeastern called for a timeout to stop Hofstra's comeback bid. Out of the timeout, the Pride benefitted off of a NU error to claw within three, but Northeastern never faltered and turned it on late in the third stanza. Bacon and Tucker expanded the lead with consecutive kills and after an HU timeout, 21-15, Marta and Bishop slammed the door with three-straight kills to win the set, 25-15.

After dropping the first point to the Pride in the fourth set, the Huskies opened up the frame on a much-needed 8-2 run, including a string of five straight points, to gain a lead they would never relinquish. Hofstra twice made a run to overpower NU, bringing things within three at 14-11 and then 22-20, but two attack errors and a Bacon kill finished off the Pride in the final set. With the 3-1 win over Hofstra, Northeastern moves to 1-0 in conference action.

The Huskies return to Solomon Court to and welcome UNCW and William & Mary to Boston as the fifth and sixth games, respectively, of NU's eight-game homestand. Northeastern takes on UNCW on Friday, Sept. 28, at 7 p.m. followed by the Tribe match on Sunday, Sept. 30, at 1 p.m.