HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – October comes to a close for Northern Kentucky with its final three home matches of the season. NKU hosts Milwaukee on Thursday, Oct. 28, Green Bay on Friday, Oct. 29, and UIC on Sunday, Oct. 31. Prior to Friday's tilt against the Phoenix, Norse Anna Brinkmann, Natalie Hardig and Miranda Wucherer will be honored as NKU's seniors will play the final home regular-season match of their careers.
 
Match Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (12-7 Overall, 8-2 Horizon League)
Milwaukee Panthers (18-6 Overall, 12-0 Horizon League)
Thursday, Oct. 28 – 6 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. | Regents Hall (1,346)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
Green Bay Phoenix (11-13 Overall, 6-6 Horizon League)
Friday, Oct. 29 – 6 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. | Regents Hall (1,346)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
UIC Flames (12-10 Overall, 8-2 Horizon League)
Sunday, Oct. 23 – 2 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. | Regents Hall (1,346)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU is in a logjam in the #HLVB standings, sitting tied for second with Wright State and UIC at 8-2.
• NKU closes its home regular-season slate this weekend with matches versus Milwaukee, Green Bay and UIC.
• NKU leads the Horizon League in blocks in both all matches (2.36 bps) and league-only matches (2.89 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. 9 Ohio State and No. 2 Louisville. Missouri was receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll. Ball State ranks 44th in the RPI. Evansville was 7-0 when it played the Norse and is 73rd 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 61-35 (.635 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 Brinkmann has twice been named #HLVB Player of the Week this year and leads the Norse at 3.67 kps and 11 double-doubles on the season.
• Brinkmann is nearing both the 1,000-kill (980) and 1,000-dig (945) plateaus. She would become the 20th Norse to reach the millennia mark in kills, 23rd in digs and 11th player to join the 1,000-kill, 1000-dig club.
• S/RS Wucherer is a versatile asset for the Norse at her setter/rightside hitter position. She's amassed 40 double-doubles and nine triple doubles in her career, which ranks fifth among active Division I players. She already has three triple-doubles this year, which rank fourth-most in the country.
• Wucherer is coming off of an 11-kill, 26-assist, 12-dig double-double against Wright State.
• 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 14 matches, Briggs has averaged 3.31 kills per set and hit .311 from her right-side position.
• 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 4.49 this year, which ranks 78th 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.
• S Katy Yopko is helping orchestrate the Norse offense, handing out 5.47 assists per set. She is coming off of her second double-double of the year and third of her career with 24 assists and 10 digs against Wright State.
• MB/OPP Abby Kanakry is averaging 1.97 kills and 1.01 blocks per set. In league play, she is averaging 1.11 bps.
• DS Lillian Leiner registered a career-high 20 digs versus Evansville and is contributing 2.21 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 (1.48 bps).
• MB Natalie Hardig is third for the Norse in blocks at 0.83 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 1.81 kps and has three double-digit kill performances this year.
• HC Liz Hart picked up her 200th career win 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.
• Seniors Brinkmann, Hardig and Wucherer will be honored in a pre-match ceremony on Friday.