Northern Kentucky University Athletics

Photo gallery | Box score

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - With its 19th consecutive 20-win season nearly wrapped up, Northern Kentucky University can begin targeting bigger goals on the volleyball court.

NKU improved to 19-2 by dispatching Urbana in three sets Wednesday night in Regents Hall. The 12th-ranked Norse shook off a sluggish start and hit .419 en route to a 25-23, 25-14, 25-11 win against the Blue Knights.
Jenna Schreiver, who was named the AVCA Division II National Player of the Week on Tuesday, dished out 32 assists and hit .800 against Urbana. The junior setter added four digs and ran the offense to perfection during the second and third sets, when the Norse hit a combined .549 (32-for-51 with just four errors).

“After the first set, the jitters were gone,” Schreiver said. “We just played our game in the second and third sets, and we had fun.”

Shelby Buschur pounded down 12 kills and hit .611 for NKU, which extended its winning streak to nine and recorded the program's 899th all-time victory. The junior middle hitter collected six kills in the second set.

Freshman middle hitter Jenna Ruble added six kills, three blocks and hit .417 as NKU remained perfect (4-0) all-time against Urbana. The Blue Knights were limited to a .085 hitting percentage and dropped to 7-20 this season.

“Jenna has done a great job of stepping up,” NKU head coach Liz Holmes said of Ruble. “I think she will continue to gain confidence each game we play.”

NKU jumped out to a 13-7 lead in the opening set, but Urbana countered with a 14-7 run to take a 21-20 advantage. The Norse answered with three straight points to gain a 23-21 edge, and Buschur later closed out the set with a kill to give NKU a 25-23 win.

NKU hit just .229 in the opening set, but the Norse attacked at a .500 clip in the second frame and .619 in the third to overwhelm the visiting Blue Knights.

Noelle Peterson finished with six kills and hit .308, while Sarah Drennen added seven kills and a .286 hitting percentage. Haley Lippert entered the contest in the third set and converted all four of her attacks for kills.

NKU plays host to No. 20 Lewis (15-5 overall) at 7 p.m. Friday in a key Great Lakes Valley Conference showdown, a match that has both regional and national implications. Lewis has beaten NKU the last three meetings, including a four-set victory over the Norse earlier this season in Romeoville, Ill.

Friday also marks the third annual Dig Pink promotion in Regents Hall. The Dig Pink promotion helps raise money for breast cancer awareness, and breast cancer survivors are invited to attend the match that evening.

Dig Pink T-shirts will be on sale for $10 each, and the first 250 fans in attendance Friday night will receive a free pink Norse bag. All fans are encouraged to wear pink to Friday's match.