FORT WAYNE, Ind. – Northern Kentucky volleyball opened up the 2019 season with a four-set win over South Alabama in the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational Presented by Hyatt Place. NKU won the first two sets, 25-19 and 25-18, while the Jaguars claimed a 25-18 win in the third. The Norse put the match away in the fourth, 25-19.
First Set Summary
- The Norse took control early in the opening set, leading from the first point until the final kill.
- NKU used a six-point run to take a 22-11 lead, but the Jaguars answered back with a six-point run of their own. Laura Crawford righted the ship and ended the frame on back-to-back kills.
- Crawford was nearly unstoppable in the first set, terminating six kills on eight swings. Kaelin Gentile also added a pair of kills, and the Norse hit .406 as a team
- The Norse had a balanced back row defense with 14 digs, led by Crawford's four scoops. Anna Brinkmann, Ashton Terrill and Miranda Wucherer each added three digs.
Second Set Summary
- Once again, the Norse led from the first point in the second set. The team hit a respectable .242 and held the Jaguars to .086.
- Three-straight attacking errors by South Alabama, followed by a ball handling error, gave the Norse a 16-11 advantage and resulted in a timeout by the Jaguars. However, NKU continued to build on its lead until the frame ended on another South Alabama hitting error.
- Crawford maintained consistency with five kills on 10 swings, while Brinkmann and Abby Kanakry each added three kills. Terrill had a strong defensive set with eight of the team's 13 digs.
Third Set Summary
- South Alabama did not let the previous set losses dampen their spirits, as the Jaguars came out with energy and kept pace with the Norse and pulled away after NKU had tied the set for the final time at 12-12.
- The Jaguars set up their set win with a five-point run of earned points, terminating four balls and blocking one NKU attack.
- Though South Alabama was not much improved with their offense, hitting .125 with only 11 kills, the Norse posted just 10 kills and hit .053. NKU kept up its defensive strength, however, digging 19 balls compared to South Alabama's 17. Crawford led the way with six digs while Terrill added five.
Fourth Set Summary
- NKU jumped out to a solid lead in the final set, going ahead 7-2 before South Alabama called for a timeout. The Jaguars came within two points at the 10-8 mark, but the Norse extended their lead through the close of the frame to claim the season-opening victory.
- The Norse bounced back from the previous set, terminating 15 of 30 attempts and hit .333 in the set.
- Crawford had four more kills on eight swings to go with four digs.
- Kanakry was a perfect 3-for-3 while also adding a block.
Norse Notes
- Crawford finished with 18 kills and 15 digs for the 16th double-double of her career. The senior hit at an impressive .361 clip while also adding a pair of blocks and an ace.
- Kanakry made her official collegiate debut with nine kills and a .368 hitting percentage. She also added three blocks to her stat line.
- Brinkmann added nine kills to go with seven digs.
- Terrill recorded the 20th 20-dig match of her career and also chipped in seven assists and a pair of aces.
- Wucherer dished out 23 assists, had six digs, two aces and a pair of blocks.
- Both Natalie Hardig and Bailey Western had four kills and five blocks out of the middle.
- As a team, the Norse hit .242 while holding South Alabama to a .117 hitting percentage. NKU also out-dug the Jaguars, 58-49, and had a 12-10 edge in blocks.
Up Next
- NKU wraps up the tournament tomorrow with a pair of matches, starting with Western Michigan at 1:30 p.m. The Norse cap off their day with host Purdue Fort Wayne at 7 p.m. Both matches will be streamed on YouTube.
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