HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team returns to Atlantic Sun Conference action for the final eight matches of the season, beginning with this weekend's action in Regents Hall against Jacksonville and North Florida.
Friday's match against Jacksonville begins at 6 p.m. Friday night is "Social Media Night," featuring guest tweeters and "Tweet to Compete" contests. Saturday will feature the "Fall-O-Ween" Kids' Club event beginning at 2 p.m., with the match against North Florida starting at 3 p.m. Pre-match festivities will include pumpkin carving, face painting and lots of candy.
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.
NKU now stands at 8-15 on the season after falling to Eastern Kentucky, 25-19,25-16,23-25,25-16.
Jayden Julian led the Norse with 12 kills and 10 digs, notching her sixth double-double of the season.
Taylor Snyder had 31 assists and 10 digs to pick up double-double number 13 as well. The Norse are 3-7 in A-Sun play.
A WORD ABOUT JACKSONVILLE: The Dolphins have run roughshod over the A-Sun this season, racking up a 19-2 overall record and a 9-1 mark in the A-Sun following Tuesday's league victory over Stetson. Alyssa Robertson is the reigning A-Sun defensive player of the week after posting a 10-block performance against East Tennessee State. The Dolphins also feature the top three servers in the conference by service aces in Kendall Courtney (29), Taylor Nyquist (26) and Sammie Strausbaugh (25).
LAST TIME AGAINST THE DOLPHINS: Sammie Strausbaugh was one of three players to post a double-double for Jacksonville, which took a 25-16, 22-25, 25-14, 25-17 win on Sept. 28. The sophomore outside hitter added 10 digs to her 15 kills to pace the Dolphins. Taylor Nyquist added 12 kills and 14 digs while Gabriela Roman had 11 kills and 11 digs on the day.
Jayden Julian had 13 kills to lead the Norse, while
Jenna Ruble added 12 kills while attacking at a .545 clip. The result left NKU with a 2-1 lead in the all-time series.
A WORD ABOUT NORTH FLORIDA: The Ospreys enter play this weekend with a 7-14 overall record and a 3-6 mark in A-Sun play entering their match Friday at Lipscomb. North Florida went 2-1 last week, but dropped a match to Florida A&M in non-conference action on Monday. Setter Abby Fesl earned A-Sun Freshman of the Week honors, averaging 9.25 assists and collecting a double-double in each of the team's conference matches. Cameron McGuire is one of the league's top blockers, averaging 1.09 blocks per set to rank third in the A-Sun.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE OSPREYS: Kelly Koop had 12 kills and 10 digs to lead North Florida to a straight-set victory, 25-22, 25-23, 25-17, over NKU on Sept. 27. Anna Budinska and McGuire were also in double-figures for the Ospreys with 11 kills each.
Megan Wanstrath led NKU with 11 kills while
Jenna Ruble added nine.
Anna Prickel had a team-best 14 digs for the Norse, who still hold a 4-3 lead in the all-time series.
HOME SWEET HOME: The Norse have posted a solid 4-2 record in Regents Hall so far this season and have won each of their last three matches at home, defeating South Carolina Upstate, Kennesaw State and Mercer in that stretch. NKU is 29-7 at home under
Liz Hart, who was named head coach in 2010.
