Match notes
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team bids farewell to its two seniors this weekend when the team closes out its 2013 regular season against Atlantic Sun Conference foes Florida Gulf Coast and Stetson in Regents Hall.
Friday is Norse Knowledge Night against FGCU, with first serve set for 6 p.m. Fans can bring new or gently used books for donation to Newport Intermediate School and receive $1 off admission. On Saturday against Stetson, NKU will honor its senior class,
Anna Prickel and
Kaela Jo Freppon, in a special pregame ceremony before first serve at 3 p.m. Fans can "Attack Hunger" on Saturday as well by bringing a non-perishable food item to benefit the Brighton Center and receive $1 off admission.
Due to heavy traffic expected by additional weekend events on campus, fans are encouraged to use Martha Layne Collins Boulevard and John's Hill Road to enter and exit campus. 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.
The Norse look to rebound from last weekend's split in which the Norse defeated South Carolina Upstate, 3-1, before falling to East Tennessee State by a 3-1 score.
Anna Prickel had a strong weekend, averaging almost six digs per set on the weekend.
Jenna Ruble added 24 kills and attacked at a .327 clip while posting eight blocks.
A WORD ABOUT FLORIDA GULF COAST: The Eagles stand at 12-17 overall and 8-8 on the season entering this weekend's action after falling to Stetson last Saturday, 3-1. Jessica Barnes and Kaitlin Holm have provided a one-two offensive punch for FGCU, averaging 3.24 kills and 2.97 kills, respectively. GiGi Meyer has stood as one of the league's top setters, averaging 10.55 assists per set. The Eagles are one of the top digging teams in the A-Sun, led by libero Whitney Masters, who has averaged four digs per set on the year.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE EAGLES: Keely Creamer equaled a career high with 17 kills and attacked at a .609 clip, but NKU was unable to overcome a two-set deficit as FGCU took a 27-25, 25-23, 17-25, 25-16 win in Alico Arena on Oct. 19.
Megan Wanstrath had 14 kills and
Jayden Julian added 11 kills while
Taylor Snyder chipped in with 57 assists, seven digs and four service aces. FGCU was led by Olivia Mesner, who had 14 kills and seven blocks. The win put FGCU ahead by a 3-1 margin in the all-time series.
A WORD ABOUT STETSON: The Hatters have posted one of the great turnaround stories of the 2013 season, as they enter the weekend with an 18-13 overall record and a 9-7 A-Sun mark. The Hatters qualified for the A-Sun Championship with a win last Saturday against FGCU after posting just four wins during the 2012 campaign. The turnaround has been spearheaded by the efforts of senior Kaley Melville, who averages 3.39 kills and 2.73 digs per set for the Hatters, and freshman Tiffany Creamer, who has averaged 2.85 kills this season and four times been named the A-Sun Freshman of the Week. Setter Kayla Weller set a new single-season school record for assists at Stetson last weekend, and averages just over 10 assists per set.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE HATTERS: Melville and Tiffany Creamer had 12 kills each as Stetson swept NKU, 25-20, 27-25, 25-21, on Oct. 18.
Keely Creamer led the Norse with 10 kills on a .500 hitting percentage while adding three blocks. Freppon had nine kills and nine digs and
Jenna Ruble had eight kills. Madison Akins and Erika White each chipped in nine kills as the Hatters hit at a .330 clip as a team. The win closed the gap in the all-time series between the teams as NKU holds a 2-1 advantage.
SPOILER SEASON: With NKU in the second year of its transition into Division I, the Norse are ineligible for postseason play and will see their season end on Saturday. However, with a log jam for the final two spots in the A-Sun Championship, the Norse still have a chance to play spoiler. FGCU can clinch a spot with a win against either NKU or Lipscomb this weekend. If Kennesaw State and North Florida are able to win their remaining matches, it could create a three-way tie at 8-10 for the final two spots in next weekend's championship.
PRICKEL PLUCKING AWAY: Anna Prickel has a chance to knock down one more wall before her playing days at NKU are over. With 1,223 digs over her career, Prickel has a shot to pass Chelsea Clark for sixth on the NKU all-time list. Prickel will need 38 digs over the course of the next two matches to accomplish the feat.
SETTING UP SUCCESS: Taylor Snyder is making her bid for a spot on the A-Sun All-Freshman Team, having maintained her spot at No. 4 on the A-Sun's assist leaderboard throughout the 2013 season. Snyder's 10.52 assists per set lead all A-Sun freshmen, as do her 30 service aces on the season. Snyder is also averaging 2.38 digs per set, which ranks second among league freshman to North Florida's Abby Fesl (2.56/set).
Snyder stands with 1,262 assists on the season with two matches to go on the season, marking one of the best seasons by a freshman setter in NKU history. By comparison,
Jenna Schreiver, NKU's first ever 5,000-assist setter, had 1,233 in her freshman campaign. Additionally, Molly Donovan, who was inducted into the David Lee Holt NKU Hall of Fame in 2011, posted 1,259 assists in her freshman season.
CREAMER'S CASE FOR HONORS: Freshman middle blocker
Keely Creamer is also making a strong case for postseason honors. Her 2.11 kills per set on the year lead the league's freshman at her position, and her 0.74 blocks per set rank third among the A-Sun's first-year players.
