HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – After starting the 2016 slate with four road tournaments, the Norse kick off Horizon League play this weekend in Wisconsin, playing at Milwaukee and Green Bay. The match against the Panthers is scheduled for 7 p.m. CT/8 p.m. ET on Friday, Sept. 23, and will be broadcast live on WatchESPN and the ESPN app with Matt Schroeder on the call. The Norse then head to Green Bay on Saturday, Sept. 24, for an afternoon tilt with the Phoenix at 2 p.m. CT/3 p.m. ET.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NKU lost consecutive matches for the first time this year at the Butler Invitational, unable to come away with a win in any of the three matches. The host Bulldogs swept the Norse, 25-22, 25-18, 25-15, before Pac-12 foe Arizona also downed NKU in three, 25-14, 25-18, 25-13. NKU went five sets against Loyola Chicago, but came up short of a victory in the 25-21, 18-25, 25-21, 22-25, 15-6 setback. Sophomore outside hitter Haley Libs led the team with 2.09 kills per set, while senior middle hitter Keely Creamer averaged 1.82 kills per set. Redshirt-senior libero Lauren Hurley led the back row with 3.64 digs per set, while Libs also had a strong defensive outing with 2.82 digs/set to go with a double-double against Loyola that was highlighted by a career-high 16 digs.
 
INDIVIDUAL HONORS IN 2016: Redshirt-senior setter Taylor Snyder and Creamer were named to the all-tournament team at the Indiana Invitational, Aug. 26-27. Creamer hit .448 off 31 kills to go with 11 blocks to earn the honor, while Snyder paced the team with 90 assists, 24 digs and 15 kills between the three matches.
  
Hurley earned all-tournament honors in Bowling Green after averaging 4.67 digs per set and controlling the Norse reception line to keep the team in system off the serve.
  
At the Eagle Challenge, Hurley was named the tournament MVP after averaging 7.08 digs per set in the Norse's wins over Ball State, App State and Morehead State. Simpson and Libs were also named to the all-tournament team.
  
Hurley was also honored as the Horizon League Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12.
  
At NKU's final preseason tournament of the year, Creamer earned all-tournament honors at the Butler Invitational.
 
CREAMER JOINS THE 1,000-KILL CLUB: Going into the Butler Invitational, Creamer needed just nine kills to notch her 1,000th career kill. She accomplished the feat with her third kill against Pac-12 opponent Arizona. Creamer currently leads all current Norse in career kills with 1,011 and is also the season leader for kills per set at 2.87 after posting 112 in the first 11 matches.
 
 
HURLEY BECOMING A DEFENSIVE DYNAMO: Lauren Hurley just stepped into the libero role this season, but the redshirt-senior has taken little time in becoming one of the Horizon League's and the nation's top defenders. Hurley currently sits at second in the Horizon League with a 4.77 digs/set average, behind only Wright State's Jessie Thornton. She also sits just outside the national top 50, ranking 52nd in the nation.
  
In her outing at the Eagle Challenge, Hurley improved on her career high in digs in each match, amassing 24 against Ball State before posting NKU's first consecutive 30-dig matches in at least a decade with 30 against App State and an NKU Division I-era single-match-record 31 in the win over Morehead State. To date, she has the only consecutive 30-dig performances in four-set matches this season in the nation.
 
NEAR THE TOP OF THE HORIZON: The Norse were picked to finish fourth in the Horizon League, according to a preseason poll of the League's nine head coaches. Reigning champion Cleveland State earned top honors with four first-place votes, followed closely by Valparaiso, also with four first-place votes. Oakland received one first-place vote, which put the Golden Grizzlies in third.
 
 
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE: The Panthers have posted an identical preseason record as the Norse, going 6-5 in the first 11 outings. Milwaukee's big hitter is 6-foot-4 outside hitter Caitlin Schultz, who averages 3.25 kills per set at a .228 clip. At the net, middles Jess Kalous and Bridget Wallenberger are combining to average nearly two blocks per set, while Myanna Ruiz holds down the back row with 4.37 digs per set. The offense is run through Jenn Dore, who dishes out 9.63 assists per set. Milwaukee most recently dropped a match to Marquette in three sets on Sept. 17, 25-21, 25-19, 25-21
  
NKU is still searching for the first win in program history against the Panthers in a series that began just last season. Milwaukee swept the Norse in Cream City on Oct. 3, and the Norse fell just short to the Panthers in Highland Heights in a five-setter on Oct. 30.
 
SCOUTING GREEN BAY: Green Bay has posted an 8-4 record in a tough preseason slate that included two nationally-ranked opponents. The team nearly squeaked out a win against No. 17 Ohio State but ultimately fell in five sets, and also had an impressive outing in the most recent match against No. 2 Minnesota. Though Green Bay was swept by the Golden Gophers, each set was within five points. Middle blocker Lydia DeWeese leads the team with 2.93 kills per set and boasts the second-highest hitting percentage in the League at a .387 clip. She is also the League leader in blocks with 1.59 rejections a game, a number that ranks ninth in the nation. Austyn Everingham leads the back row with 4.37 digs per set, while Maddie Yoss sits at third in the HL with 10.43 assists a set.
  
NKU has won all five meetings against the Phoenix in the all-time series, which began in 1985 and was recently renewed last season when the Norse joined the Horizon League. Head coach Liz Hart holds a 3-0 record against the Phoenix, with two five-setters during the regular season before a four-set win in the 2015 Horizon League Tournament on Nov. 20, 2015.