HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team looks to get back on a winning track on Tuesday when they take on regional foe Evansville in a non-conference clash at Regents Hall. First serve is scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
Norse Force members in attendance on Tuesday will receive double points. Additionally NKU Campus Recreation will be holding its Paper-Rock-Scissors tournament as well as a cornhole tournament prior to the game. Fans unable to attend can follow live stats and video at NKUNorse.com.
The Norse stand at 6-3 on the season after going 1-2 in the Blackbird Invitational, hosted by LIU Brooklyn. The Norse claimed a four-set win over Temple, who entered the weekend undefeated.
Jenna Ruble earned all-tournament team honors, compiling 26 kills and a team-best 12 blocks.
Jayden Julian added 34 kills and 25 digs, while
Taylor Snyder posted double-digit numbers in assists and digs in all three matches.
A WORD ABOUT EVANSVILLE: The Purple Aces enter Tuesday's contest with a 4-7 record after getting back-to-back wins over DePaul and IUPUI. Ashley Ring and Genesis Miranda are each averaging over three kills per set and provide the power in the Purple Aces' offense. Meaghan Holmes leads the defense at the net with 48 total blocks, including 10 solo blocks. Setting up the offense are Grace Carter and Lorena Marquez, who share the setting duties for a team that averages 11.19 assists per set. On the back row Kim Deprez has 175 digs to pace the defense.
LAST TIME AGAINST THE PURPLE ACES:
Jayden Julian posted 18 kills and
Mel Stewart added 18 digs as the Norse topped Evansville, 3-1 (25-23, 20-25, 25-17, 25-17) at the Miami (Ohio) Invitational on Sept. 7, 2013.
Jenna Ruble added 15 kills while
Kaela Jo Freppon notched a double-double with 13 kills and 17 digs.
Taylor Snyder added 55 assists and
Anna Prickel chipped in 17 digs on the match. With the win, NKU took a lead in the all-time series with Evansville, 3-2.
FIRST TIME HOME: Tuesday's match will be the first in the series to be played on either team's home court. Prior to the 2013 meeting, the teams played in 2012 at Morehead State. The previous three meetings in the series came during the 1983 season, when the teams played matches at Louisville, Cincinnati and Dayton.
MORE AWARDS:
Jenna Ruble picked up her second all-tournament team nod when she was honored at the Blackbird Invitational. She was also a part of the Northern Kentucky Volleyball Invitational all-tournament team last weekend as the Norse took wins over Samford and SIU Edwardsville. Ruble still leads all Atlantic Sun Conference players with a .332 hitting percentage, and her 0.84 blocks per set rank fourth in the league.
OFFENSIVE DEFENSIVE SPECIALIST: Freshman defensive specialist
McKenzie Eskridge is finding a way to get the offense going as well, as she shares the team lead with 12 service aces on the season. The product of Presentation Academy in Louisville is averaging 2.16 digs per set and has not missed a set this season.
STEWART SHINES ON BACK ROW:
Mel Stewart continues to put up big dig numbers from the libero position for the Norse this season. Last weekend at the Blackbird Invitational, the junior put up 49 digs across three matches, putting her season total to 141. Her average of 4.41 digs per set leads all Atlantic Sun Conference players in the category.
TEAM NUMBERS: The Norse are putting up some strong numbers to stay in the mix statistically among A-Sun squads with a week left before conference play begins. As a team, the Norse are hitting .212 to rank second in the A-Sun behind Jacksonville, which boasts a .230 hitting percentage. The Norse are strong defensively as well, averaging 15.31 digs per set, which also ranks second in the A-Sun to USC Upstate's 16.32 digs per set.
