HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team opens the second half of its Atlantic Sun Conference schedule on Friday evening when the Norse entertain Lipscomb at Regents Hall. First serve is set for 6:30 p.m.
 
It's Volleyball Alumni Night, so all former Norse players are encouraged to attend. Live stats for Friday's match will be available at NKUNorse.com. Fans can also keep up with the action by following @NKUNorseVBall and @NKUNorseGameDay on Twitter.
 
The Norse currently stand at 13-7 overall and 3-4 in A-Sun play after road losses to Stetson and Florida Gulf Coast. Stetson took a 3-0 result on Friday night on the strength of McKenna Foster's 12 kills and .423 hitting percentage. On Saturday, FGCU recorded 11 service aces and Olivia Mesner posted 19 kills in a 3-1 home win.
 
A WORD ABOUT LIPSCOMB: The Lady Bisons have opened the A-Sun schedule on fire, running the table in the first half of the league schedule and adding on a win over Belmont on Tuesday to post an eight-match winning streak entering Friday's tussle. Overall, the Bisons stand at 14-6 after a grueling nonconference schedule to open the season. Kayla Ostram has put together a breakout freshman campaign, averaging 10.92 assists per set to rank second among A-Sun setters. Lauren Ford's 309 kills rank second in the league as well, while Bri McCombs is averaging four digs per set to rank fifth in the league.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST THE LADY BISONS: Lipscomb ran its all-time record against NKU to 5-0 on Sept. 26, as the teams opened their 2014 A-Sun schedule with a 3-1 Lipscomb win. The Norse put three players in double figures for kills but could not top the league's preseason favorite. Ford led the Lady Bisons with 23 kills, while Molly Spitznagle added 19 kills. Megan Wanstrath led the Norse with 13 kills, while Tristen Simpson added 11 kills and Keely Creamer posted 10 while adding a career-high seven blocks. After the Norse took Set 1, 25-21, Lipscomb won the next two in extra points, 28-26, and 31-29, before taking the match with a 25-20 fourth set.
 
TWO TIMES TWENTY: Junior defensive specialist Mel Stewart posted back-to-back 20-dig performances last weekend in the Sunshine State, bringing her season total for that category to seven.  Stewart has tallied 338 digs overall on the season for an average of 4.57 digs per set, which ranks second among A-Sun defenders.
 
GOOD ON OFFENSE, GOOD ON DEFENSE: Redshirt sophomore setter Taylor Snyder continues to put up solid numbers as a distributor. Her 10.43 assists per set ranks fourth in the conference, while her passing has accounted for NKU's .223 team hitting percentage, which is tops in the league and 15 points clear of runner-up Jacksonville entering this weekend. In addition, Snyder is the only setter in the league averaging over three digs per set, helping the Norse through transition as well. Stewart has been there to help in the transition game, as she is averaging almost an assist per set in support of Snyder.
 
HOME COOKING: Of the eight matches remaining on NKU's regular-season schedule, only two of them will take place on the road. Friday's match opens a four-match homestand for the Norse. NKU will step out of conference for the final time on Tuesday, taking on in-state foe Eastern Kentucky at 6:30 p.m. Next weekend will see Florida Gulf Coast (Friday) and Stetson (Saturday) head to Regents Hall for A-Sun action.