BOWLING GREEN, Ohio – Northern Kentucky volleyball swept its second consecutive opponent with a victory over Fort Wayne, 25-21, 25-21, 25-20. With the win, NKU advances to 3-1 on the season, while the Mastodons fall to 2-3.
The Quote
"I thought we did a nice job serving, especially Shelby (Olsen) and McKenzie (Eskridge). It allowed us to go on a lot of 3-4 point runs. I also think we executed our scouting well. We knew going in that they had a strong angle defense on the outsides, so Haley (Libs) and Tristen (Simpson) did a good job mixing it up with swings down the line. And again, Keely (Creamer) hit for a really high efficiency in the middle, which helps us out a lot to have that option." –Head Coach
Liz Hart
First Set Summary
- NKU pulled away from Fort Wayne at the mid-point of the opening set, siding out at 11-11 and extending the lead from there to secure a 25-21 win in the first.
- The Norse hit .357 as a team, while the Mastodons were also impressive on offense with a .324 clip.
- Redshirt-senior setter Taylor Snyder was outstanding in her play-making, dishing out 15 assists to go with four digs.
- Senior outside hitter Tristen Simpson led the offense with six kills, followed by senior middle blocker Keely Creamer with five kills and no errors off 10 swings.
Second Set Summary
- The score was identical to the first set, with NKU claiming a 25-21 win over the Mastodons.
- Snyder continued to be staunch on defense, scooping up eight digs to go with 12 assists and a block.
- Creamer upped her efficiency to .600, connecting on three kills and adding a trio of blocks.
- Sophomore outside hitter Haley Libs and Simpson led the team in kills in the second set, both registering four apiece.
- NKU's team efficiency dipped to a .194 hitting percentage, but Fort Wayne was also held to a lower clip at .121.
Third Set Summary
- NKU had its best side-out percentage in the final set, siding out on 76 percent of IPFW's serves in the 25-20 win.
- Libs put up four more kills to lead the Norse in the third.
- Redshirt-senior libero Lauren Hurley had five digs in the set, with Snyder adding another four.
Norse Notes
- The Norse had not swept back-to-back opponents since Sept. 20, 2014, when NKU downed both Belmont and Wright State in straight sets.
- NKU held the statistical advantage in hitting percentage (.287-.257), digs (51-42), kills (46-38) and assists (43-35), but Fort Wayne had the edge in blocks (4.0-3.0) and aces (4-3).
- Simpson recorded a season-high 13 kills to pace the team, hitting .200 in the process.
- Libs hit .296 with 12 kills and seven digs.
- Creamer hit .500 or better for the second-straight match, putting down 10 kills on 20 swings for a .500 clip. She also led the team with three blocks.
- Snyder recorded her second double-double of the season and the 50th of her career with 34 assists and 16 digs, leading the team in both categories.
- Hurley had 13 digs to also record double-digit figures in the category.
- Sophomore middle blocker Georgia Childers hit a career-best .455 off a career-best seven kills.
Up Next
- NKU takes on host Bowling Green at 5 p.m. inside the Stroh Center. The match will have live stats available at bgsufalcons.com.
Join the Uprising!
