📹 | "We just made a few more errors. James Madison outblocked us. We did a good job from the service line."

Hear more from #HowlinHuskies head coach Caitlin Schweihofer's match reaction on Friday: pic.twitter.com/7vPTkblOoC

— Northeastern Volleyball (@GoNUwvolleyball) October 19, 2019

HARRISONBURG, Va. – Despite freshmen Evelyn Gonzalez and Erica Staunton co-leading the Northeastern women's volleyball team with 10 kills apiece on Friday, the Huskies were unable to navigate around the strong blocking game of James Madison as NU lost in straight sets at Sinclair Gymnasium (25-23, 28-26, 26-24).
 
Gonzalez and Staunton were two of the five Huskies who finished between seven and 10 kills. Senior middle blocker Natalie Shollin landed nine kills on 19 attacks (hit .316) and recorded three blocks while Nailah Jenkins came through with seven kills on 14 attacks (hit .357).
 
Junior setter Samantha Shupe set 34 assists in addition to making nine digs – two short of senior libero Clare Lund's team high, 11 digs.
 
Northeastern (9-10, 3-4 CAA) staged an 8-1 scoring run midway through the opening set to charge out to the 14-10 lead, prior to James Madison (11-6, 5-2 CAA) drawing even again at 16-16. The Huskies were two points away from winning the set at 23-21 when the Dukes stunned Northeastern with four straight points to steal the opener.
 
Starting the second set on fire, the Huskies received nine early kills from four different attackers as NU blitzed JMU to take the 11-3 lead. However, the Dukes ultimately found a way around Northeastern's 20 second-set kills, denying the Huskies five set points before prevailing, 28-26.
 
Playing from behind during most of the third set, the Huskies jumped in front, 20-19, when Shollin and Staunton stuffed M'Kaela White in the middle of the court. Shupe's lone ace of the match helped Northeastern earn two set points at 24-22, from where JMU again rattled off four set-closing points to clinch the match.
 
White led James Madison with 16 kills on 29 attacks (hit .517) while Sarah Martin finished with 38 assists, four blocks and five digs.