Box score
FT. MYERS, Fla. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team ended its inaugural season of Division I play in grand fashion, marking its second dramatic come-from-behind victory of the season with a 3-2 (23-25, 22-25, 25-20, 25-23, 15-11) decision over Florida Gulf Coast in Atlantic Sun Conference play.
The Norse finished the season with a 25-7 overall record and a 12-6 mark in A-Sun play. If eligible, NKU would be the No. 3 seed in the upcoming A-Sun Tournament. FGCU is the A-Sun regular-season champion and No. 1 seed in the A-Sun Tournament with a 22-9 overall mark and a 16-2 conference record.
Earlier this season, NKU came back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Jacksonville back on Oct. 19. Prior to that, the feat had not been accomplished since a 3-2 win over North Alabama in 2009.
Kelly Morrissey led a group of four Norse in double figures for kills, notching her 13th double-double of the year with 17 kills and 15 digs to go with a team-high three service aces.
Anna Prickel added a career-high 27 digs to lead the Norse defense, while
Jenna Schreiver dished out 53 assists and added 11 digs for her 12th double-double.
Kylee Tarantino also added 21 digs.
Haley Lippert picked up seven of her 15 kills in Set 1, which saw NKU fall behind 22-17 before embarking on a 6-2 run to draw within a point before Brittany Muse put home the set-winner for the Eagles in a 25-23 opener.
FGCU raced out to a 7-2 lead and never relinquished it, claiming a 25-22 win in Set 2. Lindsay Childs picked up half of her eight kills in the stanza to lead the Eagles to a 2-0 advantage entering the break.
Set 3 was a back-and-forth affair that saw NKU jump to a 5-1 advantage, but FGCU kept pace and eventually took a 19-16 lead before
Shelby Buschur, who ended the match with 12 kills and four blocks, picked up four kills in a set-ending 9-1 run to keep NKU's hopes alive.
Morrissey took over in Set 4, slamming home eight of NKU's 15 kills in the set, including four kills in a 5-2 Norse run mid-set.
Facing a 6-4 deficit in the final stanza, head coach
Liz Hart called a timeout that proved pivotal, as NKU pulled off an 8-3 run to turn the match to a 12-9 lead and hold off FGCU's late rally. Morrissey had three kills while
Jayden Julian added a key solo block, one of three total blocks for the freshman.
Several NKU seniors finish their careers in high places in the NKU record books. Buschur eclipsed the 1,200-kill mark, finishing 12th on the all-time list. Additionally, Buschur compiled 295 career block assists to finish second on that list, passing her head coach in the process. Tarantino's 1,676 career digs place her third all-time at NKU, while Schreiver can lay claim as NKU's top all-time setter with 5,120 assists.
