HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball is one of 32 teams nation-wide that received a bid to the National Invitational Volleyball Championship, which begins this weekend at campus sites. The Norse kick off the NIVC on Thursday, Nov. 29 at nearby Miami (Ohio) in Oxford, Ohio at 8 p.m. ET. The winner of the match will go on to face the winner of the Valparaiso versus Ball State match at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 30. All students will be able to attend the matches for free with a valid student ID, and tickets are available for $7 for the general public and $5 for youths 17-and-under. The matches will be streamed on RedHawk All-Access, which is a $9.95 monthly subscription fee.
LAST TIME OUT: Following the highest Division I conference finish in program history, the Norse made their first Horizon League Championship final by taking down Wright State in five sets before sweeping Cleveland State in the semifinals. NKU fell to No. 1 seed Green Bay in the championship match. NKU had a balanced attack over the weekend, with
Haley Libs and
Natalie Hardig pacing the way with 2.64 kills per set each to garner all-tournament honors. Both of NKU's middle blockers shone, as Hardig hit at a .361 clip and averaged 0.91 blocks per set while
Bailey Western posted 2.27 kills per set at a .300 hitting percentage to go with 0.64 blocks per set.
Laura Crawford and
Anna Brinkmann also averaged at least 2.00 kills per set, with Brinkmann serving up seven aces between the three matches. NKU's defense continued to make a statement as the Norse averaged 19.45 digs per set, led by
Ashton Terrill's 5.64 digs a frame. Libs added 3.45 digs per set, while Brinkmann and
Miranda Wucherer both added 3.18 digs per set.
MILESTONE WITHIN REACH: Sophomore libero
Ashton Terrill blew open NKU's Division I-era single-season digs record during the regular season and has surpassed Mel Stewart's 2015 mark by more than 100 digs this year with 651 scoops. Terrill is just 16 digs away from notching the 1,000th dig in her career, which would make her the 21st player to amass 1,000 digs while donning the Norse uniform. The sophomore is well on her way to becoming one of the most successful defensive specialists in program history, as two more seasons similar to this year's would put her well past Jenny Jeremiah's all-time leading mark of 2,050 digs.
STAY CLASSY: Senior outside hitter
Haley Libs made the cut in the second round of the Senior CLASS Award and was named one of 10 national finalists on Oct. 25. The award recognizes the rounded student-athlete who has accomplishments in the four C's of classroom, character, community and competition. The winner will be determined by a voting system that includes one-third weighted by a fan ballot and the other two-thirds coming from AVCA coaches and national media. Fans can vote for Libs every day on multiple devices until Dec. 5 by visiting www.seniorclassaward.com/vote/volleyball_2018.
Libs has been an exemplary student-athlete during her NKU career, leading the Norse in kills in every season while holding a flawless 4.00 grade point average. She is a two-time Horizon League All-Academic honoree and was named to the CoSIDA All-District team in 2017. Libs has been saving her best season for last, averaging 3.92 kills and 3.90 digs per set to help the Norse hold an 21-9 overall record thus far. With regards to character, she is a three-time captain as chosen by her teammates for her commitment and work ethic to both volleyball and academic studies. Finally, she has been a leader within NKU volleyball's many community outreach efforts, working with Matthew 25 Ministry, Henry Hosea Soup Kitchen and serving as an ambassador for Team IMPACT.
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE: For the entire regular season, NKU topped the nation in digs per set, currently at 19.80 dps. Sophomore libero
Ashton Terrill ranks 14th nationally and leads the Horizon League with 5.52 digs per set, while senior outside hitter
Haley Libs is second on the team with 3.90 digs per set. Back row defense has become a staple of NKU volleyball, with the Norse ranking 16th nationally in the 2017 season.
SCOUTING MIAMI: The RedHawks hold a 22-8 record entering the weekend and used a 13-3 mark in Mid-American Conference action to claim a share of the regular-season championship and hosting rights for the 2018 MAC Championship. Miami barely missed out on a trip to the NCAA Championship, falling in five sets to underdog Eastern Michigan, which entered as the No. 5 seed and rattled off four wins to punch its first-ever ticket to the Big Dance. Miami's setters, Morgan Seaman and Louise Comerford, run a well-distributed 6-2 offense that has four RedHawks averaging at least 2.00 kills per set. Margaret Payne leads the way with 2.56 kills per set at a .316 clip, followed closely by the 2018 MAC Freshman of the Year, Gaby Harper, who is averaging 2.52 kills and 2.59 digs per set. The RedHawk lineup is a youthful one, with rookie Sophie Riemersma playing opposite Harper while Comerford and middle blocker Corinne Jemison are also in their first seasons at Miami. Abigail Huser, a sophomore, holds down the back row with 5.37 digs per set. Miami also has a deep roster, with 13 players appearing in at least 40 sets this season.
The all-time series between NKU and Miami is deadlocked at 6-6, with Miami claiming both matches since the Norse transitioned to Division I. In their last meeting, the RedHawks took down the Norse in three sets in Oxford on Sept. 18, 2015.
SCOUTING BALL STATE: The Cardinals are the third MAC team to accept a bid to the NIVC, joining Miami and MAC Co-Champion Bowling Green. Ball State narrowly missed a share of the conference crown with a 12-4 mark, going 22-9 overall and bowed out of the MAC Championship in a five-setter against the RedHawks. Ball State's offense is run by the 2018 MAC Setter of the Year, Amber Seaman, who is none other than the older sister of Miami's Morgan Seaman. The elder Seaman averages 10.32 assists per set and spreads her offense primarily among Ball State's three other All-MAC performers, Ellie Dunn (3.66 kps), Sydnee VanBeek (2.7 kps) and Meg Starling (2.11 kps). The latter two make up a strong tandem in the middle as both hit over .315 and average more than a block a set. With strong blocking, the back row defense does not put up as impressive numbers with 15.91 digs per set for the team, led by Kate Avila at 4.69 digs per set.
NKU holds a slim 3-2 edge in the al-time series with Ball State. The two teams have met just once since the Norse transitioned to Division I, with NKU claiming a 25-23, 10-25, 25-18, 25-15 victory on Sept. 9, 2016.
SCOUTING VALPARAISO: The Norse have a chance to play a familiar foe in Valparaiso, which moved from the Horizon League to the Missouri Valley Conference in 2017. The Crusaders are one of just 23 teams nationally to hit the 25-win mark, holding a 25-10 record overall while going 11-7 in MVC action. Brittany Anderson joins a talented pool of setters in this weekend's NIVC pod as she earned All-MVC First Team honors and ranks fourth nationally in total assists at 1,429 (10.59 assists per set). Valpo relies heavily on a pair of experienced six-rotation outside hitters, with Katherine Carlson averaging 2.80 kills and 3.06 digs per set while Allison Ketcham averages 2.73 kills and 3.58 digs per set. Like the Norse, the Crusaders thrive in the back row, ranking 10th nationally with 18.12 digs per set. Rylee Cookerly leads the team in the category with 5.12 digs per set and is nine digs away from 700 on the season.
The Norse have had success against the Crusaders in the past, holding a 5-1 all-time record. NKU is riding a four-match winning streak against Valpo, most recently a five-set win in the quarterfinals of the 2016 Horizon League Championship on Nov. 18, 2016.The Norse won, 20-25, 29-27, 25-27, 25-21, 15-11 and the match featured a combined 252 digs.
