Box Score

BOSTON—The Northeastern volleyball team went the distance against San Diego State at the Aztec Invitational on Saturday afternoon at Peterson Gym, winning three straight sets and upsetting the tournament host in a 3-2 (23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-17, 15-7) victory.

As a team, the Huskies recorded 56 digs, led by a team-high 18 from Kelly Bacon who also recorded five digs and a pair of blocks. Senior Janelle Tucker contributed 13 kills and nine digs while middle blockers Nichole Kurz and Alexa Armstrong landed 10 and seven attacks, respectively.

Fourth-year setter Ina Kamenova accumulated the only team double-double after throwing up 29 assists and tying a season-high 13 digs.

Natalia Skiba anchored the Huskies' defense with a match-high 31 digs and also added two assists and a service ace.

Summer Nash topped the Aztecs' attack, posting a match-high 21 kills and tallying 13 digs. 

San Diego State hopped on the board first after forcing an error and landing an ace, but consecutive Bacon kills and a Skiba ace set the Huskies ahead right out of the chute, 5-2.

Five kills in 10 exchanges set the Aztecs on an 8-3 run, forcing NU's head coach Ken Nichols to call for the first timeout of the match.  After the huddle, errors plagued both sides of the net for the next 11 exchanges, but an Aztec kill ended the streak and prompted the Huskies to take their final timeout trailing, 16-13.

NU tied up the contest at the 16 and 18 marks, but efforts fell short as SDSU put up seven consecutive points topped by four kills to close out the first set with a 25-18 victory.

The Huskies quickly took control in the second set, posting an early 7-4 lead after accumulating three kills and an ace in the first 10 rallies.  Northeastern maintained the lead throughout an offensive battle, but the Aztecs forced two consecutive attacking errors and invaded the gap to within two, 16-14.

Still ahead by two, the Huskies hailed for a timeout in an attempt to stop the Aztecs momentum, but the attempt fell short when San Diego threw down two kills and forced an error to tie the contest, 18-18. The teams exchanged points down the stretch, but a Kurz kill drew the final tie of the frame at the 21 mark.

San Diego State completed the stanza with a 4-1 run, landing two sets of consecutive slams from the outside, closing the deal, 25-22.

Neither team budged in the early goings of the third frame as NU looked to avoid the sweep. Back-to-back Kurz kills topped with a swat from Tucker pushed the Huskies to a 12-8 advantage. Northeastern maintained a small gap, but a trio of offensive errors evened the contest, 14-14. NU responded by landing two swings from Armstrong and Tucker to regain the lead, 18-15, and prompt the Aztecs to take the first break of the set.

San Diego State was unable to claim the sweep as the Huskies held their opponent to just two points for remainder of the set. Northeastern stayed alive, claiming a third-set triumph, 25-17.

The fourth set began much like the third with a back-and-forth offensive battle. Both teams showcased a strong attack, but NU came out of the clash on top, 12-9, after landing a trio of kills from Bredahl and Tucker.

The Aztecs used a quick 4-0 run with a mix of kills and aces to force NU into its first huddle, trailing 13-12. Bacon reacted, landing her fifth swing of the set to tie up the contest.

NU and SDSU exchanged attacks for the next 10 rallies to, once again, even the score, 18-18. A couple of Kurz kills followed by a swat from Tucker shifted momentum to the Huskies side as NU held San Diego State to just a single point to finish the set. Northeastern tied the contest, 2-2, with a 25-18 victory.

The Huskies and Aztecs fought neck-and-neck for the entirety of the deciding frame. San Diego State took a fast 3-0 lead, but Northeastern fought its way back after landing a Bacon kill and pressing two SDSU errors. The set was tied at 12 different points throughout the frame, but a swing from Tucker and an SDSU error closed out the victory for the Huskies with a 16-14 triumph in the final frame.

Northeastern closes out the Aztec Invitational later this evening against Southern Methodist, starting at approximately 8:30 p.m. EST.

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