Match notes
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team returns to Regents Hall for the final time in the 2012 season, hosting Mercer and Kennesaw State to close out the home schedule.
NKU will host Mercer on Friday night at 7 p.m. Fans are encouraged to help “blackout” Regents Hall by wearing black to Friday's match. The Norse will host their Senior Day ceremony on Saturday afternoon against Kennesaw State. First serve is set for 3 p.m. Six NKU seniors –
Shelby Buschur,
Gennie Galfano,
Haley Lippert,
Kelly Morrissey,
Jenna Schreiver and
Kylee Tarantino – will be honored in a pre-match ceremony.
The Norse enter the weekend boasting a 21-7 overall record and an 8-6 mark in Atlantic Sun Conference play. They hope to snap their first losing streak of the season, having dropped back-to-back matches to ETSU and Lipscomb.
A WORD ABOUT MERCER: The Bears enter the weekend with a 9-15 record, including a 5-9 mark in A-Sun play, and are one of the top defensive teams in the nation, ranking ninth in averaging over 18 digs per set. Molly Locke paces the Bears offense with 307 kills and a .211 hitting percentage.
LAST TIME AGAINST MERCER:
Kylee Tarantino collected 21 digs and
Kelly Morrissey notched a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs as NKU took a 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-18) victory over Mercer on Sept. 28, the only previous meeting between the two teams.
A WORD ABOUT KENNESAW STATE: The Owls, currently 13-10 and 5-9 in the A-Sun, will be formidable on Senior Day, boasting a 7-2 road record this season. KSU will look to Turea Jones, who has 10 double-doubles on the season, and Baylee Strachan, who has a team-best .333 hitting percentage, to key the Owls' offense.
LAST TIME AGAINST KENNESAW STATE: Morrissey hiti .571 with 12 kills to lead NKU to a 3-0 (25-14, 25-18, 25-22) win over Kennesaw on Sept. 29, the first ever meeting between the teams.
Jenna Schreiver collected 30 assists, four kills and two service aces in the contest as well.
PLAYOFF PICTURE: Though NKU is ineligible for the A-Sun Tournament, they will have a definite effect on the postseason race this weekend, as both Mercer and Kennesaw State are in a dead heat for the final playoff spot, both holding 5-9 conference records. The top six teams – Norse excluded – will compete for the A-Sun Tournament championship in two weeks.
