DeKALB – Despite being the No. 2 seed heading into the Mid-American Conference Championship in 2015, the Ohio volleyball team got to play at home when it knocked off top-seeded Northern Illinois for the conference crown.

It was the Bobcats’ reward for winning the MAC during the 2014 regular season.

Now it’s the Huskies’ turn. Entering the 2016 season with plenty of returners from last year’s team that won the MAC’s regular-season title, they know they will be hosting the MAC tournament if they are one of the top eight seeds in the league.

“This is the first time that I’ve been here, that we’ve earned the right to host,” said NIU coach Ray Gooden, the reigning MAC Coach of the Year who is in his 15th season with the Huskies. “When I first started, it was host institutions, but it was by bid. We went neutral for a while because that was the thing to do, then we went back to host institutions based on how you finished. Now it’s cool and this group accepted that. They’ve been really busting their butts and working hard this summer.”

The Huskies won the regular season in 2015 by going 14-2 during conference play, giving them the right to host the MAC tournament for the first time since 2001 – when they topped Ball State for the title. Against Ohio in the championship match in Athens last year, the Huskies fell in straight sets in front of a large Bobcats crowd.

“We’d go to Ohio and play the championship match and there’s 2,800 people there,” Gooden said of the crowd of 2,736. “It’s a big deal. A team that isn’t experienced and can’t handle it, they see what goes on. ... We only seat 800 on the sides (at Victor E. Court) – maybe 900 total – but it’s a great time in there. It’s awesome. People hate playing there – that means we have a good place. We feel like if we have the right energy and right atmosphere and, most importantly, the right mindset, we have a chance to be successful at our place.”

There is good news and bad news for Gooden and the Huskies coming into this season.

The good news is they bring back plenty of important pieces from last year’s dynamic team.

The bad news is they lost setter Alexis Gonzalez (MAC Setter of the Year) and outside hitter T’ara Austin (MAC Player of the Year), who transferred to South Florida.

“We only lost two, but those two were setter of the year and player of the year,” Gooden said. “We feel pretty good about the group we have right now. We have a lot of options. We’re just exploring those options each time that we play.”

Senior Lauren Zielinski returns after a breakout season in which she was named first-team all-MAC, along with first-team all-MAC senior middle blocker Jenna Radtke. Senior outside hitter Mary Grace Kelly, who has dealt with injury issues during her career at NIU, can provide offense for the Huskies, and Gooden calls senior libero Anna Brereton (4.48 digs a set) one of the best in the conference.

However, the question comes down to who will take over setter duties after the graduation of Gonzalez, a four-year starter. The job will come down to junior Chandler Kinley or freshman Samantha Boever – or both.

“They’re either going to play separately or together,” Gooden said. “It has to be in their hands, literally. That position is like the quarterback, so the more we can find stability in that spot, the better our team can be.”

The Huskies open the season with the NIU Invitational against DePaul at 7 p.m. Aug. 26, before hosting Loyola Chicago at 7 p.m. Aug. 27 and Iowa at 2 p.m. Aug. 28.