Match notes
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team embarks on its second consecutive weekend of home matches beginning on Friday when the Norse welcome in Kennesaw State for an Atlantic Sun Conference match. First serve at Regents Hall is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The weekend concludes on Saturday when the Norse entertain Mercer for a 3 p.m. start. Fans planning to attend the matches should park in Lot S – the gravel lot at the corner of John's Hill Road and Kenton Drive, adjacent to the Bill Aker Baseball Complex – or in the Kenton Drive parking garage. Those that can't make it to Regents Hall can follow live stats and video at nkunorse.com and ASun.TV.
Friday's match is Faculty/Staff Appreciation Night – NKU faculty and staff members will receive free admission by presenting their NKU All Card at the gate. Saturday is Junior Norse/Camper Reunion Day, when NKU will welcome kids 12 and under to the game at no charge.
The Norse enter Friday's match with a 6-12 overall record and a 1-5 mark in A-Sun play after dropping a hard-fought match at Lipscomb, 25-13,16-25,25-17,25-23.
Jayden Julian and
Taylor Snyder each posted double-doubles in the effort – Julian with 11 kills and 12 digs, Snyder with 36 assists and 10 digs.
A WORD ABOUT KENNESAW STATE: The Owls are 7-9 overall and 2-4 in A-Sun play this season after snapping a four-match losing streak on Saturday with a 3-2 win over North Florida. Kelly Marcinek had a match-high 18 kills and leads the Owls with 195 kills on the season. Sara Metroka averages 9.5 assists per set to drive the offense while Camille Pedraza's 267 digs lead KSU's defensive efforts.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE OWLS:
Jenna Ruble had 12 kills and keyed a fourth-set rally to help NKU take a 25-17, 20-25, 25-19, 25-23 win over Kennesaw State on Nov. 3, 2012. Three other Norse were in double figures for kills as
Jenna Schreiver eclipsed the 5,000-assist mark, becoming the first NKU setter to accomplish the feat. NKU holds a 2-0 lead in the all-time series with Kennesaw State.
A WORD ABOUT MERCER: The Bears enter the weekend with a 1-15 overall record, having dropped 14 consecutive matches after a 3-1 victory over Jacksonville State on the season's opening day. Molly Locke averages just over three kills per set for an offense directed by Carly Iannarino, who is dishing out 8.9 assists per set. Emily Rochefort is the A-Sun's leading defender, averaging 4.8 digs per set.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE BEARS:
Haley Lippert led the Norse with 16 kills while
Shelby Buschur had 13 kills and hit .588 in a 25-21, 25-16, 25-21 victory over Mercer on Nov. 2, 2012. Schreiver had a double-double, posting 36 assists and 14 digs to lead NKU to a victory and a 2-0 lead in the all-time series.
BLOCKING UP THE RANKS:
Jenna Ruble is steadily working her way up the charts as one of NKU's top blockers. Still in her junior season, Ruble has amassed 183 total blocks and needs 16 more to pass
Jenna Schreiver for 10
th on the all-time list. Prudi Downs holds NKU's all-time record in the category with 408 total blocks from 1985-88.
LONG DAY'S NIGHT: NKU has played a total of 73 sets so far this season, tying Stetson for the most by an A-Sun team this season. The Norse have had just four matches go three sets this season, while they've had five matches go all the way to the fifth set, going 4-1 in those matches, boasting wins over Syracuse, Navy, Cincinnati and South Carolina Upstate. By contrast, USC Upstate has seen the least amount of game action among A-Sun teams at 53 sets played.
BLOCKS COME IN STREAKS: The Norse have outblocked their opponents on five different occasions this season, bunched into a pair of mini-streaks. The first such incident was early in the season when the Norse won the block battles against Michigan (5-4), Wright State (9-5) and Evansville (6-5). NKU is currently on a streak of back-to-back matches winning the war at the net, having outblocked USC Upstate, 10-8, and Lipscomb, 9-3. The six-block advantage against Lipscomb is the largest margin since last year's win over Holy Cross on Sept. 15, 2012, when the Norse held an 8-2 edge over the Crusaders.
