GREEN BAY, Wis. – Northern Kentucky volleyball dropped its third-straight match in a four-set setback to Horizon League-leading Green Bay on Saturday afternoon. The Norse fall to 13-8 overall and 5-5 in league play while the Phoenix, which avenged an earlier-season loss to the Norse, advance to 14-8 (9-1 HL).
First Set Summary
- Green Bay used two Norse hitting errors and an ace to pull ahead, 15-11, which gave the Phoenix momentum to take the opening set. The Phoenix ended the set on a four-point run, including two service aces in the final three points.
- Haley Libs led the Norse with four kills on seven swings and added six digs. Shelby Olsen also chipped in six digs to help lead NKU's defensive effort, while Ashton Terrill and Anna Brinkmann each added five.
Second Set Summary
- NKU went out to an early lead in the second thanks to high offensive production as Libs put away three kills in the first seven points.
- The Norse hit .367 in the frame, putting away 19 kills with just one error to tie the match up at one set apiece. Libs remained efficient with eight kills and no errors on 20 swings, and Natalie Hardig added five kills at a .556 clip.
Third Set Summary
- The Norse held the advantage for much of the third set, leading the Phoenix 17-10 at one point. However, Green Bay turned it around and rattled off four kills in a row to tie the contest up and earned set point thanks to back-to-back blocks before ending on a termination.
- Brinkmann, Hardig and Miranda Wucherer each contributed three kills in the set. Terrill and Libs led the defense with eight and seven digs, respectively.
Fourth Set Summary
- Green Bay set the tone with a 7-0 run to start the final set and held NKU to a .087 hitting percentage.
- Bailey Western led the offense with four kills on eight swings, and Wucherer had three kills. Terrill capped off a stellar defensive performance with 11 digs.
Norse Notes
- Libs kept her double-double streak alive with 14 kills and 22 digs, marking her 13th-straight double-double and second-straight match with at least 20 digs.
- Olsen extended her double-double streak to seven matches with 30 assists and 17 digs, while Wucherer also hit double figures in both categories with 22 assists and 12 digs.
- Hardig hit .391 en route to 11 kills to serve as NKU's other double-digit kills performer.
- Terrill had her sixth career match with at least 30 digs with a new career best of 33 scoops.
- NKU's defense recorded 103 digs and kept Taylor Wolf, who entered the weekend ranked 10th in kills per set, to just seven kills at a .065 hitting percentage.
Up Next
- NKU is back at home next weekend when it hosts IUPUI and Wright State on Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 27-28. First serve against the Jaguars is set for 4 p.m. on Saturday while the Norse will face the Raiders at 2 p.m. on Sunday.
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