NKU defeated Lewis in four sets on Friday in the NCAA Tournament.
BOX SCORE
HILLSDALE, Mich. - Just when it appeared as if Northern Kentucky University might never beat Lewis again on the volleyball court, the Norse proved everyone wrong at a most opportune time.
NKU - which had not beaten Lewis since 2008 and was already 0-2 against the Flyers this season - rallied from an opening-set loss Friday night and posted a 22-25, 25-9, 25-22, 26-24 victory over its recent nemesis in the opening round of the NCAA Division II Midwest Regional. The Norse used a 10-3 run to end the fourth set to rally from a 21-16 deficit and earn a spot in Saturday night's regional semifinals.
Noelle Peterson finished with 18 kills and hit .500 to lead NKU, which improved to 26-5. The 16th-ranked Norse owned an 85-61 advantage in digs, with five players reaching double-digit totals in that category.
Kylee Tarantino collected 23 digs, while teammate
Kelly Morrissey added 17.
Lewis (25-7) pulled out a 25-22 win in the opening set, but NKU responded in big-time fashion. The Norse attacked at a .357 clip and limited Lewis to a -.069 hitting percentage en route to a 25-9 second-set victory.
NKU held on for a 25-22 win in the third set to take a 2-1 lead, but Lewis countered in the fourth frame and held a 21-16 lead. The Norse stormed from behind with a 7-1 run to take a 23-22 advantage on a
Shelby Buschur kill.
After Lewis tied it at 23-all, Peterson's kill gave NKU a 24-23 lead. Danielle Mount of Lewis tied the set with a kill, but the Flyers gave the point back to NKU with a ballhandling error.
Buschur ended the match by serving up an ace, giving NKU a 26-24 win and stopping Lewis' recent dominance in the series. The Flyers had won four straight against NKU since 2008.
Sarah Drennen recorded a double-double with 16 kills and 14 digs. Buschur finished with 10 kills, while
Jenna Ruble added six kills and a .308 hitting percentage. NKU is now 31-19 all-time against Lewis.
Jenna Schreiver dished out 49 assists and added 11 digs for NKU, which hit .239. Lewis, ranked No. 17 nationally, attacked at a .123 clip for the match.
NKU will meet top-seeded Hillsdale in the semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. The eighth-ranked Chargers (29-2) defeated Missouri S&T in the opening round Friday night.
Third-seeded Indianapolis plays second-seeded Ferris State in the other semifinal. The regional championship is set for Sunday at 4 p.m.
