HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky volleyball wrapped up its first week of Horizon League competition with a four-set victory over Cleveland State. The Norse dropped a long first set, 31-29, before taking the next three games for the victory, 25-20, 25-10, 25-21. NKU moves to 9-5 overall and 2-0 in the Horizon League, while the Vikings drop to 4-9 (0-2 Horizon).
First Set Summary
- The Norse took control to start the set, but the Vikings managed to stay within two to four points of the Norse until finally tying the contest at 19-19. From there, the two teams traded points and the Vikings fought off six NKU set points before ending the frame on a three-point run.
- Anna Brinkmann had six kills in the set to go with five digs, leading the Norse in both categories. Laura Crawford added five kills while hitting .400, and Ashton Terrill picked up four digs and dished out five assists.
- Both teams connected well, with Cleveland State hitting .312 while the Norse hit .326.
Second Set Summary
- The Vikings started the second set on a 4-1 run, but NKU answered back with a six-point run to swing the lead in their favor. NKU was able to keep the Vikings at a distance, ending the set with two kills and a block in the final five points.
- Abby Kanakry led the way with five kills on 10 attempts, along with a pair of blocks. Brinkmann, Bailey Western and Natalie Hardig each added three kills. The Norse continued to be balanced in the back row with Brinkmann, Crawford and Miranda Wucherer all contributing four digs.
Third Set Summary
- The Norse jumped ahead, 13-2, and maintained the advantage from there. Clewveland State was not able to string together many runs, only scoring more than two points in a row on two occasions.
- The Norse hit .424 while the Vikings were held to a .000 hitting percentage. NKU also terminated more than twice as many balls, with 15 kills compared to Cleveland State's seven.
- Crawford and Kanakry each had four kills to lead the offense, with Kanakry connecting at a .667 clip. Wucherer and Terrill led the back row with seven and six digs, respectively.
Fourth Set Summary
- Cleveland State did not let the previous set rattle them, and came back to hit more efficiently than the Norse in the final frame with a .191 hitting percentage compared to .185 for the Norse. The Vikings also had an advantage in digs and blocks, but the Norse managed to terminate more balls and serve more aggressively to take the final set.
- Kanakry had four more kills, and Crawford added three. Brinkmann picked up seven digs, while Terrill added six as the Norse scooped up 26 attacks in the set.
Norse Notes
- Four Norse registered double-digit kills, four had double-digit digs, and three had double-digit assists.
- Kanakry led the Norse with 15 kills, hitting .406 in the victory. She also added three blocks.
- Brinkmann recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 14 kills and a season-best 21 digs.
- Crawford had her sixth double-double of the season with 13 kills and 11 digs.
- Wucherer also recorded a double-double, her fourth of the year, dishing out 26 assists and digging a career-high-tying 18 balls.
- Western rounded out the double-digit kills leaders, with 10 kills on 22 attempts.
- Teriill recorded the first double-double of her career with 19 digs and a career-best 10 assists.
- Shelby Olsen added 21 assists and eight digs, and Hardig had six kills on 11 swings while leading the team at the net with five blocks.
- Overall, NKU hit .291 for the match while the Vikings hit .181. NKU also had an 8-6 advantage in blocks, out-dug the Vikings, 86-79, and had seven aces compared to CSU's five.
Up Next
- NKU takes on Wright State, which is riding a 13-match winning streak, on the road. First serve is set for 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m.
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