HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball fell to Horizon League foe UIC in five sets on Sunday afternoon, 25-22, 21-25, 25-20, 16-25, 15-11. The Norse drop to 12-5 overall and 4-2 in Horizon League play while the Flames move on to 11-8 (4-2 HL).
First Set Summary
- UIC used a pair of Norse errors and a kill from Kiera James to pull ahead, 11-8, forcing an NKU timeout. The Norse answered back with an assisted block from Natalie Hardig and Haley Libs and were able to knot the contest up at 16-16, but the Flames ended the frame on a 5-2 run.
- Libs had seven kills to lead the Norse offense, while Laura Crawford had three kills on four swings. Ashton Terrill led the back row with five digs.
Second Set Summary
- The Norse used a four-point run to pull ahead in the second set, 20-14, which was enough cushion for the remainder of the set.
- Anna Brinkmann had an efficient set for NKU, with four kills and no errors on seven swings.
- Libs and Terrill led the back row with eight and seven digs, respectively.
Third Set Summary
- A string of key UIC blocks late in the third set allowed the Flames to slip past the Norse as NKU was held to a .081 hitting percentage.
- Libs added five more kills, but also committed five errors, as just three Norse had a positive hitting percentage in the frame.
Fourth Set Summary
- The Norse front line held James to just three kills in a must-win set, with NKU hitting .357 while holding UIC to its lowest hitting percentage of the match at .119.
- Libs hit .600 in the fourth set with six kills on 10 swings, and Hardig added three kills on five swings to go with five block assists.
Fifth Set Summary
- UIC came out hot in the deciding set, rushing out to a 12-4 advantage. The Norse used a five-point run to come within three points of the Flames, but UIC put down three kills in the final five points to take the match.
- Libs was a perfect 3-for-3 in attacking, but UIC's offense proved to be too potent as the Flames put down 10 kills compared to just five for NKU.
Norse Notes
- Libs had her ninth-straight double-double with a match-high 23 kills to go with 17 digs. She also had a season-best four blocks and served up an ace.
- Olsen had her third-consecutive double-double with 24 assists and 10 digs, also adding an ace to her stat line.
- NKU had a season-best 16.5 blocks in the setback. Hardig led the way with nine blocks, a new career best for the freshman, while Western added seven and Gentile rejected six attacks.
- Terrill led the back row with 25 digs.
Up Next
- NKU begins a four-match road swing next weekend, first heading to IUPUI for a 4 p.m. tilt on Saturday, Oct. 13. The Norse then make the short trip north to Wright State on Sunday, Oct. 14, with first serve scheduled for 4 p.m.
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