HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball won its first five-set match of the year, upending Green Bay in a 25-17, 20-25, 22-25, 25-20, 15-13 battle inside Regents Hall. With the victory, NKU moves to 14-10 on the season and 8-5 in Horizon League play, while Green Bay dips to 17-8 overall and 9-4 in the League.
The Quote
"I'm very proud of how hard our players worked in this match. Green Bay is a talented team, and we won a very hard-fought match. This is the kind of play we've talked about having going into the tournament." – Head Coach
Liz Hart
First Set Summary
- The Norse went out hot in the first set, establishing a 13-4 lead to set the tone quickly.
- NKU hit .306 and held the Phoenix to .167 in the opening frame, with the Norse committing a match-low three errors.
- Sophomore outside hitter Haley Libs led the team with four kills on seven swings, adding two aces and a pair of digs.
- Redshirt-senior Lauren Hurley racked up nine digs, while setter Taylor Snyder added six.
Second Set Summary
- The second set was a back-and-forth game for its majority until Green Bay pulled away at 20-20 for the 25-20 win.
- NKU hit its lowest of the match, connecting at just a .083 clip while the Phoenix hit .231.
- Freshman rightside hitter Laura Crawford led the offense in the set with four kills, followed by Libs with three.
- Once again, Hurley and Snyder were outstanding on defense with six and five digs, respectively.
Third Set Summary
- The flow of the third set was similar to the second with the two teams going point-for-point until the 19-19 mark. Green Bay then pulled away for a 25-22 win.
- The Norse had a higher efficiency (.250-.227), but the Phoenix terminated a higher number of balls in the set.
- Crawford added five kills to lead the team, as did senior middle hitter Keely Creamer.
Fourth Set Summary
- Creamer continued to heat up with five more kills in the fourth set, also adding a block.
- NKU trailed at the halfway point, down 17-13, but a balanced offense with no errors allowed the Norse quickly swing to a 21-18 lead. The remainder of the points were traded, but NKU established enough of a lead for the 25-22 set win.
- Both Hurley and Libs had five digs in the set to lead the defense.
Fifth Set Summary
- NKU terminated 12 attacks in the deciding set, hitting at a .212 clip to seal the victory.
- Libs and Creamer paced the offense with four kills apiece, while Libs also had a solid backrow performance with five digs.
- Hurley also recorded five scoops, but the staunchest defender in the fifth set was junior DS McKenzie Eskridge with seven digs in the 15-13 win.
- Hurley also contributed the match-winning ace, her only one of the match.
Norse Notes
- The Norse hit .221 in the win, holding Green Bay to a .178 clip.
- NKU had a clear advantage defensively, posting 98 digs in the win compared to 83 by the Phoenix. The 98 digs are the most by the Norse this season by 26 digs, and are the most since Oct. 24, 2015 at Valparaiso when the team also had 98 scoops in a match.
- The team also had season highs in kills (67) and assists (64)
- The Norse nearly saw its first 20/20 performance in almost a decade, with 18 kills and 20 digs by Libs. She set a new career best with her 20 digs.
- Creamer led the team in kills with 19 at a .310 clip and also added four block assists. Creamer is NKU's second all-time career block assist leader with 304.
- Hurley had the third 30-dig match of her career, leading all players with 30 digs. She was just one off her NKU Division I-era record of 31 set earlier in the year against Morehead State.
- Crawford set a new career high in kills with 16, connecting at a .286 hitting percentage. It is just the second time in her career that the freshman has recorded double-figure kills.
- Snyder dished out 56 assists to go with 15 digs for her ninth double-double of the season.
- The match marks the third time this year that Libs and Snyder have recorded double-doubles in the same match.
- Eskridge tied her season high in digs with 14 and also added an ace for the Norse.
Up Next
- NKU celebrates its Senior Day tomorrow against Milwaukee at 4 p.m. The match will be carried on the ESPN3 platform and is available for viewing on WatchESPN and the ESPN App. Fans should plan an early arrival for the Senior Day ceremonies honoring Keely Creamer, Lauren Hurley, Tristen Simpson and Taylor Snyder.
Join the Uprising!
