HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Two of the top three teams in the Horizon League standings will battle on Friday night when Northern Kentucky hosts Wright State at Regents Hall. First serve is at 6 p.m. and admission is free. The Norse are currently second in the league and the Raiders are one game back in third.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (12-6 Overall, 8-1 Horizon League)
Youngstown State University Penguins (15-7 Overall, 7-2 Horizon League)
Friday, Oct. 22 – 6 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. | Regents Hall (1,346)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU is currently riding a seven-match winning streak and it has won eight of its last nine contests.
• NKU is 23-17 all-time against Wright State, including a 13-6 mark in the DI era.
• NKU leads the Horizon League in blocks in both all matches (2.31 bps) and league-only matches (2.88 bps).
• NKU opened the season with 12-straight road games, going 6-6.
• Northern Kentucky's nonconference slate was tough, including two teams currently ranked in the top-10 - No. 7 Ohio State (L, 0-3) and No. 2 Louisville. Missouri was receiving votes in the preseason poll. South Dakota was in the RPI top-50 in each of the last two years (42 in 2020, 38 in 2019) and Ball State (L, 0-3, L, 2-3) ranks 59th in the RPI. Evansville was 7-0 when it played the Norse and is 93rd in the RPI.
• Following its tough schedule to start the season, NKU is now steadily climbing the national rankings in multiple categories, finding itself in the top-100 in kills per set (57th, 13.37), assists per set (70th, 12.18), hitting percentage (81st, .233), blocks per set (85th, 2.32) and digs per set (93rd, 15.49).
• Over the last four seasons (2018-21), NKU is a combined 61-34 (.642 winning percentage).
• With last year's #HLVB Tournament semifinal appearance, NKU has now reached at least the semifinals of its conference tournament seven-straight years - every season eligible for conference postseason tournament play (2014-present) since reclassifying to NCAA Division I in 2012.
• OH Anna Brinkmann has twice been named #HLVB Player of the Week this year and has won four in her career.
• In NKU's last two matches, she registered a .545 attacking percentage against Cleveland State that resulted in 13 kills and followed with a 12-kill performance behind a .400 hitting percentage at Youngstown State.
• Brinkmann leads the Norse at 3.68 kps and 10 double-doubles on the season.
• RS/OH Reilly Briggs was named #HLVB Player of the Week on Oct. 6 after averaging 3.91 kps at a .434 hitting clip in road games at Milwaukee and Green Bay and at home versus Robert Morris.
• In her last 13 matches, Briggs has averaged 3.38 kills per set and hit .319 (159K-49E-345TA) from her right-side position.
• S/RS Miranda Wucherer is a versatile asset for the Norse at her setter/opposite hitter position. She's amassed 39 double-doubles in her career, including eight triple doubles. She already has two triple-doubles this year, which rank fifth-most in the country.
• Against Oakland, Wucherer registered a career-high 22 digs in a near triple-double effort (eight kills, 24 assists) and followed with a career-high six block assists versus Cleveland State.
• DS/L Anna Burke is donning the libero jersey for the Norse for the first time this year. She improved from 0.96 dps as a freshman to 1.70 dps her sophomore season and is now averaging 4.62 this year, which ranks 62nd in the country and third in the Horizon League.
• Burke already has seven 20-dig matches on the season, including a career-high 29 at Ball State on Sept. 18 and 25 versus Robert Morris in NKU's last outing.
• S Katy Yopko is helping orchestrate the Norse offense, handing out 5.52 assists per set.
• Yopko posted her second career double-double with 30 assists and 11 digs in NKU's win at Wright State.
• MB/OPP Abby Kanakry is averaging 2.00 kills and 1.00 blocks per set.
• In her last seven matches, Kanakry is averaging 2.48 kills per set while hitting .449 and adding 1.17 bps.
• DS Lillian Leiner registered a career-high 20 digs versus Evansville and is contributing 2.26 dps. She already has five double-figure dig efforts this year after registering two last season.
• MB Sequoia Hunt leads the league in blocks in league-only matches (1.81 bps). In her last four matches, she is averaging 2.15 bps (28 blocks, 13 sets).
• MB Natalie Hardig is third for the Norse and ranks 8th in the league in blocks at 0.88 bps.
• Freshman OH Joy Banks, was an Under Armour High School All-America Honorable Mention honoree after averaging 5.7 kills behind .401 hitting as a senior. She is contributing 1.85 kps and has three double-digit kill performances this year.
• HC Liz Hart picked up her 200th career win on Saturday against Cleveland State. She joined Jane Meier (257, 1978-87), Mary Biermann (286, 1989-2000) and Carlos Chia (224, 2001-10) with 200 career wins as a Norse head coach.