HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball heads into the final weekend of nonconference action at the Cougar Classic, hosted by SIUE on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 14-15. The Norse kick the tournament off against Louisiana Tech on Friday at 10:30 a.m. CT/11:30 ET before facing the host Cougars at 6 p.m. CT/7 ET. Saturday features a single match against Oral Roberts at 1:30 p.m CT/2:30 ET.
 
LAST TIME OUT: NKU picked up two more wins to claim the title at the Dunn Hospitality Tournament, taking down Austin Peay in five sets before sweeping Evansville on its home court. Against the previously unbeaten Governors, Haley Libs, Anna Brinkmann and Shelby Olsen all recorded double-doubles, while Miranda Wucherer posted her third triple-double of the season and Ashton Terrill had her fourth 30-dig match of the year. Libs went on to lead the Norse in the victory over the Purple Aces with 12 kills at a .333 clip to go with eight digs.
 
LIBS LIGHTS UP THE LEAGUE: Though Haley Libs has been one of the most consistent performers in the Horizon League during her time as a Norse, she had only picked up one weekly honor from the organization in four years. On Sept. 9, she added a second weekly accolade when she was named the Nike Horizon League Offensive Player of the Week for her performances at the Dunn Hospitality Tournament. Libs hit .300 from the left pin, averaging 4.75 kills per set to lead the Norse to wins over Austin Peay and Evansville. She had her fifth career match with over 25 kills against the Governors, putting down 26 at a .286 clip and also added 14 digs. In the sweep of the host Purple Aces, Libs was even more efficient, hitting .333 with 12 kills to go with eight digs.
 
SENIOR MAGIC: NKU's lone senior looks to have been saving her best season for last with some impressive numbers in the first three weeks of competition. Haley Libs is the only player in the Horizon League to rank among the top-10 players in the league in kills per set (4.45), digs per set (3.97) and hitting percentage (.241).
 
MILESTONE AHEAD: Haley Libs is on the brink of becoming NKU's 10th member of the 1,000-kill/1,000-dig club with 1,257 kills and 973 digs to her name. Not only will she join the ranks of some of NKU's most decorated student-athletes, but Libs is set to become NKU's first player in the Division I era to record both 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career. The last players to hit the milestone were none other than head coach Liz Hart (née Holmes), along with Tristen Dye, during their careers in 2004-07. Hart is the all-time kills leader with 1,850 terminations and is No. 11 on the all-time digs list, with 1,191 scoops, while Dye put down 1,395 kills for No. 9 on the all-time list and picked up 1,035 digs for No. 17 in NKU laurels.
 
DEFENSE, DEFENSE, DEFENSE: For the third week, NKU tops the nation with 20.09 digs per set. Sophomore libero Ashton Terrill ranks fourth nationally with 5.79 digs per set, while senior outside hitter Haley Libs is second on the team with 3.97 digs per set. Back row defense has become a staple of NKU volleyball, with the Norse ranking 16th nationally in the 2017 season.
 
SCOUTING LOUISIANA TECH: The Lady Techsters hold a 3-8 mark, suffering five sweeps among their eight losses. Two of Louisiana Tech's wins have come in the past three matches against Southeastern Louisiana and Jackson State. A pair of freshmen have been averaging over two kills per set, with Lara Hendricks leading the team at 2.75 kps. In the back row, Alyssa Zucco averages 4.09 digs per set to lead the Lady Techsters. Friday's meeting will be just the second in the history of the two programs. Louisiana Tech and NKU last squared off on Sept. 4, 2015, with the Norse picking up a 3-1 victory.
 
SCOUTING SIUE: After a successful 2017 campaign with a 23-7 record, the Cougars are off to a rocky start at 0-9. SIUE lost its top two attackers and All-OVC performers, and have struggled to find an attacker to fill their shoes. Hope Everett leads the team with 2.10 kills and 1.00 blocks per set, while a handful of players are averaging just under two kills a frame. While the team has not found an offensive rhythm at just 10.2 kills per set, the Cougars' strength this season lies in its block at 1.92 blocks per set. The Norse and the Cougars have a solid history, with NKU leading 16-8 in the all-time series. The Norse have won both meetings against the Cougars since transitioning to Division I, prevailing in five sets in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.
 
SCOUTING ORAL ROBERTS: The Golden Eagles hold a 3-6 mark with wins over North Florida, Grambling State and Northwestern State. Oral Roberts has been switching up its lineup to start the season, with multiple attackers earning the start for the Golden Eagles. CeCe Madison tops the kills leaders for Oral Roberts at 2.71 kills per set, but connects at a .059 clip. Lara Picht has appeared in all nine matches with seven starts, averaging 2.41 kills per set with a .114 hitting percentage. The only two players who have started in every match have been setter Bria Greenlee, who is dishing out 9.15 assists per set while also being a consistent offensive threat with over a kill per set, and middle blocker Taylan Nero, who is the team's top blocker at 1.03 rejections a frame.