HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball closes out the home season this weekend, hosting Green Bay and Milwaukee. The Norse take on the Phoenix, which are tied for second in the Horizon League, at 6 p.m. ET on Friday, Nov. 4. The home finale will be against the Panthers and will double as NKU's Senior Day on Saturday at 4 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN3 and are available for viewing on WatchESPN and the ESPN App with Mike Schmaltz on the call for the Norse.
NKU'S SENIOR CLASS: Prior to Saturday's match against Milwaukee, the Norse will honor four seniors who have helped the team successfully transition into Division I. Below are snapshots of their careers:
Keely Creamer is one of the top middle blockers in NKU history, as she became the 18th member of the 1,000 kill club this season and has coupled that with more than 300 career blocks. She currently sits at second all-time in career block assists, with 300, and is 15th on the all-time career kills list with 1,153. Creamer has averaged 2.64 kills per set during her career, but is having the strongest season so far as she leads the team with 3.17 kills per set at a .304 clip. This season, Creamer broke NKU's D-I-era single-match record for hitting percentage, going .750 against Valparaiso on Oct. 7.
Lauren Hurley moved into the libero role after serving as a defensive specialist for her first three years. Her transition has been a smooth one, as she is second in the Horizon League and just outside the top-50 nationally in digs per set at 4.71. This season, Hurley broke the program's Division I-era record for single-match digs when she had 31 against Morehead State on Sept. 10. She also holds the D-I-era single-season record for service aces, with 39 in 2014.
Tristen Simpson has been having her strongest season for the Norse, averaging 2.59 kills per set after averaging two per set through her first three years. Throughout her career, she has tallied more than 800 kills for the Norse. Simpson has been a stronghold in service reception and has the highest reception percentage on the team this year. She has also been a force at the net with 123 career blocks from the left pin.
Taylor Snyder will go down as one of the most prolific all-around setters at NKU, as she is just the second in program history to have 4,000 assists and 1,000 digs in a career. With 4,234 assists so far, Snyder is fourth on the all-time assists list and is also 15th in career digs with 1,052. She became more of an offensive threat this season, averaging over a kill per set while doing so at a .412 clip, while also averaging a career-best 2.92 digs per set and 10.61 assists per set.
LAST TIME OUT: After posting a historic run of seven consecutive League sweeps, the Norse had their winning streak snapped with losses at Oakland and Cleveland State. NKU had a 3-1 setback at the hands of the Golden Grizzlies, which broke the tiebreak against the two teams for second place in the League. The team then suffered a three-set loss to League-leader Cleveland State, but kept the sets close in the 26-24, 25-23, 25-21 setback.
SCOUTING GREEN BAY: The Phoenix are having a strong season, tied for second in the Horizon League behind a 9-3 record and 17-7 overall. Two of Green Bay's League losses have come from Oakland, while the third was a sweep by Cleveland State. Green Bay ranks in the top half of League opponents in nearly every statistical category, including topping the chart in blocks per set with 2.40 rejections a game. Individually, middle blocker Lydia DeWeese ranks sixth in the nation with 1.54 blocks per set, and also leads the League in hitting percentage at a .353 clip. The Phoenix do not have a standout terminator that ranks among the League's top-10, but have a balanced attack with three players averaging 2.5 kills per set or more. Green Bay boasts one of the most potent offenses in the League with just under 13 kills per set off a .222 hitting percentage.
NKU leads the all-time series against Green Bay, 5-1, with the only loss coming earlier this season. The Phoenix swept the Norse, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15, behind a formidable .370 hitting percentage and five service aces.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE: The Panthers have had an up-and-down season in League play, sporting a 6-6 record among HL opponents and a 12-11 mark overall. Milwaukee enters the weekend looking to snap a three-match losing streak, which includes a five-setter to League-leading Cleveland State and a sweep from Green Bay. The Panthers boast arguably the top rookie tandem in the League in setter Jenn Dore and middle blocker Bridget Wallenberger. Dore leads the League and ranks 34th in the nation with 10.76 assists per set, while Wallenberger has made her name known since entering League play, as she ranks second in blocks per set (1.29), third in kills per set (3.35) and eighth in hitting percentage (.280) in League-only action. Fellow freshman Kylie Wilks has also risen to the occasion since the HL season started, and averages 3.33 kills per set, good for fifth in the League.
The Norse have yet to win a match against the Panthers in the all-time series, which is just a brief three-match span. Milwaukee took down NKU in the Horizon League opener on Sept. 23, edging out the Norse 25-18, 18-25, 25-22, 17-25, 15-10.
NATIONAL EXPOSURE FOR HOME SLATE: Seven of volleyball's home matches have been selected as a part of NKU's fall broadcast partnership with ESPN3. Broadcast dates include matches against: Cleveland State (Sept. 30, 6 p.m.), Oakland (Oct. 1, 4 p.m.), Valparaiso (Oct. 7, 7 p.m.), UIC (Oct. 15, 4 p.m.), Wright State (Oct. 23, 4 p.m.), Green Bay (Nov. 4, 6 p.m.) and Milwaukee (Nov. 5, 4 p.m.).
