HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball spent the first five weeks of the season on the road, but will finally return to the friendly confines of Regents Hall this weekend for the 2016 season home opener. NKU has a pair of staunch opponents lined up, first welcoming 2015 Horizon League regular season and tournament champion Cleveland State on Friday, Sept. 30 at 6 p.m. ET. Friday's contest will also welcome back NKU alumnae to be honored, and it is also family weekend for the Norse. On Saturday, the Norse are set to square off with the 2015 League regular season runner-up, Oakland, at 4 p.m. Both matches will air on ESPN3 with Mike Schmaltz on the call.
 
CHALLENGE COMPLETED: NKU volleyball began the planning stages for a locker room renovation in November 2015 and completed the first phase of the project in time for the team to see its new facility by the start of preseason. The month of September was devoted to raising money for the second and final phase of the renovation that including the build-out of a players' lounge, including a team sitting area, workspace surfaces and a trophy display case. The goal of $10,000 was met on Sept. 26, and has been exceeded by more than $300. A recognition of all the donations that have been made will take place during Friday's event schedule.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NKU dropped the first two League matches of 2016, falling to Milwaukee and Green Bay on the road. The Norse nearly notched the first win against the Panthers in program history, but ultimately fell in five sets, 18-25, 25-18, 25-22, 17-25, 15-10. Sophomore outside hitter Haley Libs recorded her first 20-kill match of the season along with a career-high 16 digs for her second consecutive double-double and 11th of her career. Redshirt-senior libero Lauren Hurley led the back row with 24 digs. The Phoenix swept NKU the next day, 25-16, 25-22, 25-15. Libs and senior outside hitter Tristen Simpson paced the team with nine kills apiece, with Libs leading the defensive charge after tallying a team-high 12 digs.
 
CREAMER JOINS THE 1,000-KILL CLUB: Keely Creamer will be presented with a commemorative ball prior to the Cleveland State match in honor of recording her 1,000^th career kill. Going into the Butler Invitational, Creamer needed just nine kills to reach the mark. She accomplished the feat with her third kill against Pac-12 opponent Arizona. Creamer currently leads all current Norse in career kills with 1,022 and is also second on the team in kills per set with 2.62 after posting 123 in the first 13 matches.
 
SCOUTING CLEVELAND STATE: The Vikings return a formidable core of players who have helped Cleveland State become one of the premier teams in the Horizon League. Senior outside Grace Kauth leads the attack with 3.72 kills per set, which sits at the top of the League. Junior setter Gina Kilner dishes out 10.53 assists per set, and is also an offensive weapon with the highest hitting percentage in the League of .405 behind 81 kills. Senior middle hitter Aaliyah Slappy has come into her element since the start of conference play, hitting at a .517 clip to lead the League in conference-only matches. The Vikings rely on junior Shannon Grega in the libero spot, who averages 3.17 digs per set.
 
As a team, Cleveland State leads the League in hitting percentage (.257), kills per set (13.96) and assists per set (12.70). Those numbers rank well nationally, at 44th, 33rd and 59th among Division I programs, respectively. The Vikings are a high-powered offense, but fall in the back half of the League in digs per set (13.98), blocks per set (2.17) and aces per set (1.11).
  
The team holds a 10-4 record with its only losses coming against Notre Dame, Boise State, Indiana and most recently, Oakland in the HL opener. The Vikings are 1-1 in League action after falling to the Golden Grizzlies in five before sweeping Youngstown State.
  
Cleveland State leads the all-time series, 4-3, which dates back to 1980. Since the series was renewed in 2015, CSU has posted a 3-1 record against the Norse, with NKU's only win coming on Oct. 13, 2015, when the match went to five in Regents Hall, 17-25, 25-23, 22-25, 25-16, 15-13.  The Norse took their last meeting with the Vikings to five sets as well, but fell 25-21, 23-25, 16-25, 25-22, 15-10 in the semifinals of the Horizon League Tournament on Nov. 21, 2015.
 
SCOUTING OAKLAND: The Golden Grizzlies are tied for the lead in the Horizon League after going 2-0 on opening weekend with wins against Cleveland State and Youngstown State, and the team is 10-6 overall in 2016. Oakland has faced two common nonconference opponents with the Norse, winning against both Bowling Green and Butler, to whom NKU fell in straight sets earlier in the year. The Golden Grizzlies lost 2015 HL Setter of the Year Ciara Schultz, but redshirt-freshman Jordan Lentz has stepped up to fill the role and averages 9.35 assists per set. Oakland's top attacker is senior outside Melissa Deatsch, who is averaging 2.95 kills per set and also leads the League and ranks second in the nation with .87 aces per set.
  
As a team, Oakland is the top team in the League in aces per set at 1.94, which also ranks eighth in the nation. The Golden Grizzlies also rank third in the HL in blocks per set (2.21), but are at the bottom of the League in digs per set at 12.31.
  
NKU has yet to win a match against Oakland in a series that dates back to 1985, with the Golden Grizzlies sitting at 8-0 all-time. The rivalry was renewed last season when the Norse entered the Horizon League, with a pair of close contests. Oakland swept NKU on its home court on Oct. 16, 31-29, 26-24, 25-15, but the Norse pushed extra sets when they traveled to Rochester on Nov. 14, ultimately falling in five, 24-26, 25-16, 21-25, 25-23, 15-12.
 
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.).