VALPARAISO, Ind. – A 16-block performance by Keyaira Lankheit keyed a monumental win by the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team on Saturday afternoon as the Norse took a five-set win from Horizon League foe Valparaiso.
 
Lankheit added 11 kills to her 16 blocks to mark her first-career double-double and set a Division I record for the Norse in the blocks department. The 16 blocks was also the most by any Division I player up to this point in the 2015 season.
 
The freshman was one of three Norse to notch double-doubles on the day, as Haley Libs picked up 14 kills and 12 digs, while Taylor Snyder dished out 41 assists to go with 20 digs. The win was the fourth in NKU's last five matches, and pushed the Norse to 10-12 overall and level in Horizon League play at 5-5.
 
Valpo (20-6, 6-4 Horizon) opened the match on a 4-1 run and extended its lead as high as 12-6 as Emily Campbell went for nine kills in the frame. NKU would pull as close as three points at 22-19, claiming four blocks in the process, including three from Creamer, but Valpo picked up three of the final four points to take a 25-20 win in Set 1.
 
A 7-1 run for the Norse in Set 2, bookended by blocks from Lankheit, turned a 10-9 deficit to a 15-11 lead. NKU continued to apply pressure, pushing the lead with rally points to a 25-17 victory in the set.
 
Set 3 was one of big runs, as NKU's 4-0 run early in the set was answered by a 5-0 Valpo rally, giving the Crusaders an 11-8 lead. NKU used a 6-1 run to retake the lead, 16-14, but again the Crusaders rallied to tie things back up at 19-19. Both teams came up big on the blocks late, as the teams managed five blocks over an eight-point stretch with the Norse coming out ahead, closing out a 25-21 win.
 
Both teams battled to a 17-17 tie in Set 4 before Valpo rallied for five of the next six points to take a 22-18 lead, holding on to force a fifth set with a 25-20 win.
 
Allison Ketcham picked up the first three kills to open Set 5 for Valpo as the Crusaders raced out to a 6-3 lead that eventually extended to 10-6. The Norse never said die, however, as they used a 4-1 rally to tie the set back up at 12-12. Libs and Lankheit took over from there, as the duo paired up for two kills and a block to close out the 15-13 win.
 
Emily Campbell posted a career-high 26 kills for Valpo and added 21 digs, as the Crusaders also had three reach double-doubles on the night. Allison Ketcham had 14 kills and 14 digs, while Kelsey Berrington had 55 assists and 11 digs.
 
NKU returns to Highland Heights for the final home stand of the 2015 season. The action begins Tuesday at Regents Hall, as the Norse host Wright State. First serve is set for 7 p.m., with the match broadcast on ESPN3.
 
NORSE NOTES
 
·         Keely Creamer added 13 kills on the evening for the Norse, marking the seventh double-figure effort in her last eight matches. Creamer also chipped in on four blocks on the night.
·         Jayden Julian posted more total blocks (eight) than kills (seven) on the evening, and added a stellar 13-dig effort from the back row.
·         Mel Stewart set another team season high for digs with 29 on the night. The effort vaulted the senior to fifth on the all-time digs list at NKU, passing Peggy Ziegler (1990-93) with 1,344 digs.