DAYTON, Ohio – Northern Kentucky volleyball cruised to a three-set win over UIC in the first round of the 2019 Horizon League Volleyball Championship, 25-19, 25-16, 25-18. The Norse move onto the semifinals with a 17-12 record while UIC ends its 2019 campaign at 20-11.
First Set Summary
- The Norse cruised to a first-set win without much need for their trademark back row defense as UIC's first 20 attacks were either a kill or an error. NKU started to funnel UIC's attacks to its defenders at the 23-16 mark, after which Shelby Olsen picked up three digs while Laura Crawford and Ashton Terrill added one apiece.
- Crawford and Peytton Bagwell led NKU's attack with four kills each. Crawford hit an impressive .800 in the frame while Bagwell was similarly efficient with a .500 hitting percentage.
- NKU hit .440 in the frame while the Flames hit .207.
Second Set Summary
- UIC was held to a .000 hitting percentage in the second set as the Norse gained control early with a 5-0 run to start the set and continued to extend the lead throughout the set's duration.
- NKU had five blocks in the set, with Bagwell assisting on four of them. Crawford added five more kills, while Brinkmann and Reilly Briggs each chipped in three. Brinkmann led the back row with seven digs, and Olsen served up two aces in a set that showcased the team's balance in multiple categories.
Third Set Summary
- After a tight start to the final frame, NKU began to build on its lead, extending out to its largest advantage at 21-14. The Norse held off a late run by UIC and used kills from Crawford and Briggs to set up match point.
- Briggs led the way with six kills on 11 swings, while Crawford added eight. The Norse hit .424 in the final frame and held UIC to just nine terminations.
Norse Notes
- Northern Kentucky hit .376 in the match and held the Flames to a .091 hitting percentage thanks in large part to 11 NKU blocks.
- Bagwell led NKU's net defense with a career-high eight blocks, also terminating six balls on the offensive end.
- Crawford and Briggs both reached double figures to pace the offense, as Crawford put away 12 balls with a .423 hitting percentage while Briggs had 11 kills and no errors for a .550 hitting percentage.
- Brinkmann picked up 11 digs to go with her six kills, and Olsen was just shy of a double-double with 20 assists and nine digs.
- The Norse sided out on 72 percent of UIC's serves.
- In the highly offensive matchup, UIC barely edged the Norse in digs, 36-35.
Up Next
- The Norse take on No. 1 Wright State tomorrow in the first of two semifinal matches. First serve against the Raiders is set for 3 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+.
#NorseUp
