HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky.- Despite a strong showing by Northern Kentucky University's blockers, the Norse were unable to battle past the Milwaukee Panthers in a Friday night Horizon League showdown, falling, 3-2 (24-26, 25-10, 22-25, 25-16, 15-10).
 
NKU (11-13, 6-6 Horizon) was led by Libs with 22 kills on a .296 hitting percentage. Keyaira Lankheit followed with 11 kills and seven blocks and Kelly Turner with 7 kills. Mel Stewart held strong on defense with 21 digs on the night.
 
Milwaukee (7-18, 5-7 Horizon League) was led out of the middle, as Maddie Williams led the way with 17 kills and four blocks, while Jess Kalous added 12 kills and seven blocks. Maggie Dunbar finished the night with a double-double (14 kills, 14 digs) as the Panthers hit a combined .252 and accumulated 80 digs as a team.
 
The Norse fell behind early, but were able to battle back with a 7-1 run to take a 10-7 lead. The Panthers continued to press and tied things back up at 12-12. The teams exchanged points until a UWM service error followed by an NKU block gave the Norse a 24-22 lead. Kills by Williams and Dunbar tied the set back up at 24-24, but a kill from Kelly Turner and a Panther attack error gave NKU the opener, 26-24.
 
An 8-1 run by the Panthers made the difference in Set 2, as UWM hit .462 in the stanza and picked up three service aces, rolling to a 25-10 victory to level the match.
 
NKU turned it around in Set 3, taking the early 6-3 lead before the Norse strung together a 5-1 run, keyed by a pair of Keely Creamer blocks, to extend the lead to 11-6. The Panthers answered, turning around a 7-3 run to take an 18-17 lead. The teams battled to a 22-22 tie before Libs took matters in her own hands picking up three kills and a block in the final four points to give NKU a 25-22 set victory.
 
The teams traded points in Set 4 until a 4-0 run for the Panthers gave them a 13-9 lead they would not relinquish. A steady back-and-forth ensued until a late 9-1 run was too much for the Norse to handle, leading to a 25-16 win for UWM and a decisive fifth set.
 
The Panthers took the momentum from the previous set to string together a 6-0 run and grab an 8-3 lead. The Norse brought it as close as three points, but Dunbar put down the final two points to take the set and match, 15-10.
 
NKU returns to the court on Saturday afternoon for a Senior Day showdown against Green Bay. First serve is set for 3 p.m. with the match broadcast live on ESPN3. Fans are encouraged to arrive early as the Norse will honor their seniors, Mel Stewart and Jayden Julian, in a special pre-match ceremony.
 
Norse Notes

• This is NKU's first loss in a 5-set match this season; now sitting at 5-1 in five-set showdowns this year and 9-2 over the last two years
• Keely Creamer passed her career high with eight blocks on the evening, leading the team's 17-block effort.
• Libs completed her sixth double-double of the year with 22 kills and 10 digs. The 22 kills were the most by Libs in Regents Hall this season, and the fourth time she's surpassed the 20-kill mark.