CLEVELAND – Northern Kentucky volleyball fell to Horizon League favorite Cleveland State in four sets, 25-22, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20. The Norse fall to 10-4 on the season and 2-1 in league play while the Vikings become the only unbeaten team in league action and are 9-6 overall.
First Set Summary
- The opening set, like the remainder of the match, was a back-and-forth affair between the Vikings and the Norse. Cleveland State finally pulled away after a timeout at 20-20, ending the frame on a 5-2 run.
- Haley Libs led the Norse offense with four kills and added six digs in the back row.
- Ashton Terrill and Laura Crawford added four digs each, but the Norse were out-dug 27-20 by the Vikings.
Second Set Summary
- NKU rallied from behind to take its only set win, trailing by as many as three points consistently throughout the second before a three-point run allowed the Norse to power through for a two-point victory.
- Anna Brinkmann led the Norse offense with four kills and no errors on 10 swings, while Libs chipped in three more winners.
- Ashton Terrill picked up the pace in the back row, racking up 12 digs as the Norse tallied 31 scoops overall.
Third Set Summary
- The Norse were held to a .071 hitting percentage, committing 10 errors in the third set.
- Though the set held tight for the beginning, the Vikings pulled away at the mid-point and ended the set on a 7-1 run.
- Libs blasted six kills, while Brinkmann added four kills on six swings.
Fourth Set Summary
- NKU kept pace with Cleveland State until the 20-20 mark, but the Vikings put away five-straight points to earn the victory. The Norse had their most efficient set with a .245 hitting percentage, but the Vikings also saved their best for last with a .326 clip and just two miscues.
- Natalie Hardig hit .714 in the set with five kills on seven swings, while Crawford, Brinkmann and Bailey Western all added three kills.
Norse Notes
- Though the Norse registered more kills as a team than the Vikings, 58-56, more than twice as many hitting errors held NKU to a .149 clip while the Vikings hit at a .244 percentage.
- CSU also had the edge on defense with 110 digs and nine blocks, while NKU had 101 digs and eight blocks.
- Libs recorded her sixth-straight double-double with 15 kills and 18 digs. Crawford also added a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs, chipping in four blocks, while Miranda Wucherer had 30 assists and a career-best 19 digs.
- Terrill led NKU's back row with 28 digs, and Brinkmann added 13 digs on a .297 hitting percentage.
- Hardig had six kills on 10 swings, and Western led the net defense with five blocks to go with her seven kills.
Up Next
- NKU looks to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when the Norse take on Oakland in Rochester, Michigan. First serve is scheduled for 4 p.m. ET from the Athletics Center O'Rena.
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