HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball hosts Milwaukee for Senior Day on Sunday, Nov. 10. First serve against the Panthers is set for 2 p.m. ET and the match will be broadcast on ESPN+. Prior to the match, NKU will honor its three seniors:
Raven Barleston,
Laura Crawford and
Shelby Olsen, as well as Team IMPACT members
Leah Conrad and
Taylor Conrad.
LAST TIME OUT: The Norse avenged an Oct. 9 loss to Oakland with a sweep of the Golden Grizzlies in Rochester, Michigan, 25-22, 25-22, 27-25.
Anna Brinkmann led the Norse attack with 17 kills and 10 digs, while Olsen also added a double-double with 22 assists and 12 digs. The Norse had a slim edge on the Golden Grizzlies in nearly every statistical category, but it was just enough to emerge victorious in three sets.
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. 67 spot. The Horizon League has also seen continued success in the rating percentage index as it is one of just six Division I conferences to have five or more teams in the top 100, with Wright State, Milwaukee, Green Bay and UIC 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 13th in the nation with 17.86 digs per set, 56th with a .179 opponent hitting percentage and 56th with 2.39 blocks per set. This season, the Norse have held five opponents to under a .100 hitting percentage. The Norse also rank 71st nationally and first in the Horizon League with 1.53 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 1,487 digs and is 17 digs away from tying Mel Stewart (2012-15) for fifth.
Senior setter Olsen recorded her 1,000th career dig at Green Bay on Oct. 19, becoming just the third Norse setter to amass at least 2,000 assists and 1,000 digs in a career. She joins Molly Donovan (1995-98) and Taylor Snyder (2013-16) in the exclusive club.
SCOUTING MILWAUKEE: The Panthers sat atop the league standing entering this weekend, but Oakland sullied their perfect home record on Saturday evening, defeating Milwaukee in four sets. The Panthers fall to 10-3 in the league standings and sport an impressive 23-4 overall record. Milwaukee's offense has been its strength, leading the Horizon League in conference action with 14.23 kills per set and a .230 hitting percentage. The Panthers are led by their middle and rightside attack, with rightside Carmen Heilemann pacing the team with 3.17 kills per set at a .277 clip in league play. Heilemann's counterpart in the 6-2 offense, Kleja Cerniauskaite, contributes 2.38 kills per set, while freshman middle Ari Miller sits between the two with 2.52 kills and 0.96 blocks per set. Setting duties are split between Jenn Dore and Rylie Vaughn, who team up to average 11.61 assists per set. In the back row, Jess Grabowski sits at fourth in the league with 5.04 digs per set.
Milwaukee holds a 6-3 advantage in the all-time series. When the Norse last met up with the Panthers, it was the last match of their 15-match winning streak as Milwaukee bested NKU in four sets on Oct. 11.
