HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – In its final home match of the season, Northern Kentucky took down UIC in a four-set thriller at Regents Hall. The win lifts NKU's overall record to 15-7, including an 11-2 mark in Horizon League play. UIC slides to 13-11 and 9-3 versus league opposition. The Norse are now in solo possession of second place in the league standings, trailing Milwaukee by half a game and sitting one game ahead of Wright State.

STATS LEADERS

• Anna Brinkmann had a match-high-tying 18 kills, terminating at a .292 clip.
• With her 23 scoops, Anna Burke led all players in the match.
• Reilly Briggs registered 14 kills on the strength of a .357 hitting percent.
• Abby Kanakry provided the Norse their third player with double-digit kills as she recorded 10.
• Katy Yopko delivered her third double-double of the season with 25 assists and 12 digs, while Miranda Wucherer contributed 21 assists.
• Allie Siefke led all player in the match with six blocks, two coming via solo stuffs.
• Natalie Hardig also delivered four block assists.

 
FIRST SET SUMMARY   

• NKU quickly pulled ahead 6-2 only to see UIC even the score at eight and then take a 12-9 lead and force a Norse timeout.
• The Flames scored the next three points and NKU called its second timeout, but UIC finished with 11-straight points to take a 19-9 advantage.
• UIC went on to a 25-16 decision.
• After terminating each of its first three attacks of the frame, NKU hit just .147 with 11 kills and six errors. UIC attacked at a .361 clip with 17 kills and only four errors.
• Briggs, Brinkmann and Kanakry had three kills each for NKU and Lillian Leiner had four digs.

 
SECOND SET SUMMARY   

• In a continuation from the first set, the Flames sprinted out to a 9-4 lead with the Norse calling both timeouts during the start.
• Northern Kentucky kept its composure and rallied, tying the set at 22.
• UIC scored two of the next three points, but NKU rattled off three-straight points on a Kanakry kill, a Flames' hitting error and Brinkmann termination.
• Brinkmann was on fire in the set, putting away six kills on 11 swings without committing an error.
• After failing to record a block in set No. 1, NKU's net play stopped four UIC attacks with Siefke posting four total via one solo and three assisted.
• Burke was excellent on the back row, picking up nine digs.

 
THIRD SET SUMMARY 

• UIC took an early timeout at 9-4 in favor of NKU, which went on to build a 14-7 advantage.
• The Flames pulled within four, but terminations from Kanakry and Briggs paired with a Briggs and Siefke block re-instilled NKU's 21-14 lead.
• Northern Kentucky closed the set, 25-17, courtesy of its sixth team block with Briggs and Hardig teaming up for it.
• Hardig finished the set with four block assists and Briggs had three.
• Brinkmann had three kills for NKU.
• While both teams had nine terminations, the Norse defense forced 11 Flame errors. NKU had just two miscues in the frame.

 
FOURTH SET SUMMARY 

• With NKU grabbing an 11-9 lead, UIC called the first timeout of the stanza.
• The Flames battled back to pull in front 14-13, resulting in a Norse timeout.
• NKU called its second timeout moments later with UIC holding a 17-15 lead.
• An attack error by UIC followed by a Brinkmann kill tied the score at 18, then consecutive attack errors from NKU put the Flames back in front by a pair.
• NKU rallied with terminations from Briggs and Siefke to even the score once more and force UIC's second timeout.
• Briggs came out of the break with a well-placed ball in the corner and Brinkmann delivered a service ace and kill from the back row to put NKU ahead by three, 23-20.
• Briggs and Brinkmann rung up another pair of kills to win the set and match, 25-21.
• The Norse closed the set on a 7-1 run.
• Burke was incredible on the back line once again, picking up 10 more digs in the set, setting up the offensive fire power with seven Briggs' kills and six from Brinkmann

 
MATCH NOTES   

• The Norse finished with 53 kills and just 16 attack errors for a .274 hitting percentage. While UIC had one more kill, 54, it registered 26 hitting errors and terminated at a .179 clip.
• Both teams had 63 digs, but the Norse posted a 10-8 advantage in blocks.
• Over the course of the three-match weekend, Northern Kentucky averaged 3.90 blocks per set with four Norse averaging at least 1.00 blocks per set: Hardig (1.86), Sequoia Hunt (1.71), Siefke (1.50) and Briggs (1.00).
• NKU finished its regular-season home schedule with an 8-1 mark.

 
NEXT UP 
A four-match road trip to close the 2021 regular-season begins for Northern Kentucky with a trip to the Hoosier State for matchups at IUPUI and Purdue Fort Wayne on Nov. 5 and 6, respectively.