Box score
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Megan Divine collected six of her 19 kills in the fourth set Friday night as the East Tennessee State volleyball team defeated Northern Kentucky 32-30, 13-25, 25-23, 25-23 in Regents Hall.
Divine also added 16 digs and six block assists for East Tennessee State, which improved to 10-6 and 4-0 in the Atlantic Sun Conference. The Bucs, last season's Atlantic Sun Conference Tournament champions, rallied from an 18-13 deficit in the fourth set with a decisive 9-2 run and held on to earn the road win.
Jayden Julian finished with 17 kills and a .394 hitting percentage for Northern Kentucky, which is 5-11 overall, 0-4 in the A-Sun. Julian also collected 10 digs for the Norse, who attacked at a .221 clip for the match.
Keely Creamer and
Jenna Ruble each added 12 kills for Northern Kentucky, with Creamer hitting .476. Ruble finished with five block assists and one solo, while Creamer added four block assists.
Northern Kentucky freshman setter
Taylor Snyder recorded her eighth double-double of the season with 49 assists and 11 digs, while libero
Anna Prickel finished with a match-high 18 digs. Prickel now has 1,019 career digs, which is 14th in school history.
Trailing 18-13 in the fourth set, East Tennessee State roared from behind with a 9-2 spurt to take a 22-20 lead. A kill by Julian and a service ace from
Kaela Jo Freppon enabled Northern Kentucky to tie the set at 22-all, but an error allowed the Bucs to gain a 23-22 edge.
Snyder's kill tied the set at 23-all, but Devine countered by smashing down an attack to give East Tennessee State a 24-23 advantage. Devine combined with Khadijah Wiley to block Ruble's attack at match point and give the Bucs the victory.
Jamie Rutledge dished out 53 assists to lead East Tennessee State, which is 3-1 all-time against Northern Kentucky. The Bucs hit .164 for the match and finished with a 13-12 edge in team blocks.
The Norse stormed back from an 18-10 deficit in the opening set behind a 14-5 run that gave them set point at 24-23. East Tennessee State, in fact, staved off five set points in the opening frame before pulling out a 32-30 win.
Northern Kentucky plays host to USC Upstate at 3 p.m. Saturday in Regents Hall. Attendees of NKU's Family Weekend will receive free admission to Saturday's contest by presenting their name badge.
Fans planning to attend the game 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 the match at nkunorse.com and ASun.TV.
