HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team is set for a big trip to the Big Apple this weekend, competing in the Blackbird Invitational, hosted by LIU Brooklyn.
 
The Norse will open play on Friday, taking on the host Blackbirds at 2 p.m.  The tournament concludes on Saturday, as the Norse face Temple at 12:30 p.m., followed by a match against Boston College at 4 p.m. Links to live stats and video are available at NKUNorse.com.
 
NKU now stands at 5-1 on the season after posting a 2-1 mark in the Northern Kentucky Volleyball Invitational. The tournament opened strong, with a 3-0 win over Samford. Taylor Snyder and Jayden Julian each posted double-doubles in NKU's 3-2 win over SIU Edwardsville before the Norse came up short against Eastern Michigan, 3-0, to conclude the tournament.
 
Jenna Ruble and Mel Stewart were each named to the Invitational's All-Tournament Team. Ruble hit .366 on the weekend, totaling 29 kills and 10 blocks across the three matches. Stewart compiled 50 digs on the weekend, including a career-high 28 digs in the win over SIU Edwardsville.
 
A WORD ABOUT LIU BROOKLYN: The Blackbirds enter the weekend's tournament at 4-3 after posting a 3-1 win over Fresno State in the Blackbirds' home opener on Wednesday night. The team has also picked up a marquee win in five sets over Alabama last weekend at the Cavalier Classic, hosted by the University of Virginia. The offense keys off the play of Annika Foit and Tamara Ignjic, who combine for over 200 of LIU Brooklyn's 325 kills on the season. Foit is averaging 4.46 kills per set and ranks 19^th in the nation in the category, and her 11.91 attacks per set rank 15^th in the nation. Setting her up will be Vera Djuric, who is averaging 9.85 assists per set alongside her 22 total blocks. The defense looks to Adriana Vinas Joy, who is picking out 4.5 digs per set. Friday's match will be the first meeting between the Norse and the Blackbirds.
 
A WORD ABOUT TEMPLE: The Owls bring an unblemished 6-0 record into the Blackbird Classic this weekend, standing as one of 30 teams in the nation without a loss on their record after picking up wins over Charlotte, Princeton and Holy Cross in the Temple Invitational. The Owls rank 19^th in the nation in assists per set (13.43), 21^st in hitting percentage (.287) and 29^th in kills per set (14.26). The Owls will send Caroline Grattan swinging away, as she leads the team with over four kills per set and is one of seven players averaging better than two kills per set. Sandra Kydlik and Tiffany Connaster share the serving duties, each playing in roughly half of the team's sets this season. Alyssa Drachslin is Temple's top defender, averaging 4.43 digs per set.
 
LAST TIME AGAINST THE OWLS: NKU boasts a 2-0 record all-time against Temple in a series that has been dormant since 1981, when the teams met on neutral ground in Lansing, Michigan. NKU came back from a 15-13 loss in Set 1 to take the match, 2-1. The teams first met the previous year, with NKU taking a 15-6, 15-9 win in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
 
A WORD ABOUT BOSTON COLLEGE: The Eagles are 3-3 on the year after going 1-2 last weekend at the Yale University Invitational. Boston College dropped five-set decisions to Albany and No. 16 Minnesota before rallying to defeat the host Bulldogs in the tournament finale. Katty Workman and Julia Topor will lead the Boston College attack, with Workman averaging 3.58 kills per set on the year. Setting duties fall to Kellie Barnum, who averages 8.62 assists on the year. Lauren Fields averages just over three digs per set on the back row, and Anna Skold's 26 total blocks on the season tops the team. NKU and Boston College will meet for the first time on Saturday.
 
BACK TO THE NORTHEAST: The Norse are no strangers to the busy life of the Northeast. In 2012, NKU's inaugural season of Division I competition, NKU competed in tournaments at Bryant in Rhode Island and Harvard in Massachusetts. The Norse posted a combined 5-1 record in the tournaments, with their only loss coming in five sets to Manhattan.
 
TOPPING THE CHARTS: The Norse are posting solid numbers across the board among Atlantic Sun Conference performers. Jenna Ruble's .373 hitting percentage still stands tops among A-Sun attackers. Mel Stewart's 92 total digs rank fourth in the league, though she tops the charts in digs per set with 4.38. Lauren Hurley still stands fourth in the league in service aces per set (0.48), while Taylor Snyder, at 9.90 assists per set, ranks fifth in that category.