HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball hits the road to close out the first half of Horizon League play this weekend, traveling to UIC on Friday, Oct. 18, before a match against the reigning league champion Green Bay on Saturday, Oct. 19. First serve against the Flames is set for 6 p.m. CT/7 ET and the match versus the Phoenix will start at 4 p.m. CT/5 ET. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN3.
LAST TIME OUT: NKU saw strong play from its rightside attack as
Abby Kanakry posted 16 kills and
Miranda Wucherer added 12, but the Norse ultimately fell on the road to league-leading Milwaukee in four sets. The Norse had a solid defensive effort with four players in double-digit digs while the team outblocked the Panthers, 11-6, but Milwaukee had more success in terminating the ball.
UPWARD TREND: NKU had its highest RPI in program history on Oct. 7 and has continued to stay ranked among some of the nation's top teams in the No. 55 spot. The Horizon League has also seen continued success in the rating percentage index as it is one of just seven Division I conferences to have six or more teams in the top 100, with Wright State, Milwaukee, Green Bay, UIC and Oakland joining the Norse.
NORSE VS. THE NATION: NKU ranks among the nation's top-100 in several statistical categories. NKU's best statistics come from its defensive prowess, as the Norse rank 20th in the nation with 17.30 digs per set, 49th with a .172 opponent hitting percentage and 63rd with 2.36 blocks per set. This season, the Norse have held five opponents to under a .100 hitting percentage. The Norse also rank 70th nationally and first in the Horizon League with 1.55 aces per set.
MILESTONE TRACKER: In the final tournament of the nonconference slate, junior libero
Ashton Terrill broke into the all-time top-10 list for career digs, surpassing Amber Timmons' mark of 1,205 set between the 2001-04 seasons. Terrill currently has 1,341 digs and is 163 digs away from tying Mel Stewart (2012-15) for fifth.
Senior setter
Shelby Olsen is also on pace to become just the third setter in NKU history to record at least 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs. Olsen currently has 2,515 career assists, good for 10th all-time, along with 986 digs. With 14 more digs, she would join Molly Donovan (1995-98; 4,971 assists/1,005 digs) and Taylor Snyder (2013-16; 4,535 assists/1,116 digs) in the exclusive club.
SCOUTING UIC: The Flames sit at 14-6 overall and 3-3 in Horizon League play, and last weekend snapped the longest winning streak in the nation with a sweep of Wright State. UIC has a strong balance of defense and offense as the Flames rank 24th nationally in blocks per set (2.61), 28th in kills per set (13.68) and 30th in digs per set (2.61). Michelle Glover paces the team in its strongest statistic, as the sophomore middle ranks 22nd nationally with 1.34 blocks per set. Glover is also one of five Flames averaging between 2.25 and 2.64 kills per set in a balanced offense for the team. Senior outside hitter Brookah Palmer boasts the highest of that range, and also adds 1.61 digs per set.
NKU holds a 9-2 advantage in the all-time series with UIC. In the last meeting, NKU avenged an earlier five-set loss at home by sweeping the Flames on their home court, 25-22, 28-26, 25-20.
SCOUTING GREEN BAY: The Phoenix hold a 12-6 record and are currently third in the Horizon League with a 4-2 mark, dropping decisions to Milwaukee and Cleveland State. The reigning Horizon League Player of the Year, Taylor Wolf, continues to lead the Horizon League in kills per set, while ranking 18th nationally at 4.48 kps. The Phoenix also boast the reigning Setter of the Year in Maddie Yoss, who is dishing out 10.29 assists per set, ranking 25th nationally in the statistic, while also scooping up 2.88 digs per set to rank second on the team behind Breanna Hesse's 4.51 dps. As a team, the Phoenix rank 23rd nationally and second in the league with a .157 opponent hitting percentage, and are also strong defensively with 16.61 digs per set to sit at No. 33 nationally. However, despite having the top attacker and setter in the Horizon League, the Phoenix rank in the bottom half of the league's team statistics in most categories.
NKU holds a slim 7-6 advantage in the all-time series, but the Phoenix have won five out of the last six meetings. The two teams last squared off in the championship final of the Horizon League Tournament, when Green Bay won in three sets, 25-22, 27-25, 25-19.
