HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – With a 12-match road streak to open the 2021 season in the review mirror, Northern Kentucky is set to begin a stretch of nine home games in the next 10 matches when it welcomes Robert Morris to Regents Hall on Tuesday night. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (6-6 Overall, 2-1 Horizon League)
Robert Morris University Colonials (8-8 Overall, 1-3 Horizon League)
Tuesday, Oct. 5 – 6 p.m.
Highland Heights, Ky. | Regents Hall (1,346)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU wrapped up 12-straight games on the road after splitting at Milwaukee (L, 3-1) and Green Bay (W, 3-0).
• NKU's road trip to start the season would have been 14 games if not for two cancelations.
• NKU plays its first match of the year at Regents Hall against Robert Morris.
• NKU was chosen third in the #HLVB preseason poll.
• NKU leads the Horizon League in blocks (2.97 bps) in league only matches.
• Northern Kentucky's nonconference slate was tough, including two teams currently ranked in the top-10 - No. 8 Ohio State (L, 0-3) and No. 3 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 both Ohio (W, 3-2) and Ball State (L, 0-3, L, 2-3) perennially finds themselves in the top-50-100 of the RPI. Evansville was 7-0 when they played the Norse.
• Over the last four seasons (2018-21), NKU is a combined 55-34 (.618 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 ranks 78th in the country in kills per set at 3.76 with double-figure kills in her last 11 matches.
• Brinkmann also has eight double-doubles on the season.
• Brinkmann was named #HLVB Player of the Week after earning tournament MVP honors at Miami after posting 3.71 kps, .324 hitting percentage, 0.86 bps and 0.57 aces per set.
• S/RS Miranda Wucherer and OH/RS Reilly Briggs joined Brinkmann on the all-tournament team at the conclusion of Miami's event.
• Wucherer is a versatile asset for the Norse at her setter/opposite hitter position. She's amassed 37 double-doubles in her career, including eight triple doubles. She already has two triple-doubles this year, which rank third in the country.
• Briggs was third on the team in kills in 2020, but is second so far this year at 2.80 kps.
• In her last seven matches, Briggs has averaged 3.56 kills per set and hit .310 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 4.62 this year, which ranks 60th in the country.
• Burke already has five 20-dig matches on the season, including a career-high 29 at Ball State on Sept. 18.
• S Katy Yopko is orchestrating the Norse offense, handing out 5.64 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 1.82 kills and 0.98 blocks per set (6th-most in #HLVB).
• MB Natalie Hardig leads the Norse and ranks 3rd in the league in blocks at 1.03 bps.
• DS Lillian Leiner registered a career-high 20 digs versus Evansville and is contributing 2.44 dps. She already has four double-figure dig efforts this year after registering two last season.
• 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 1.80 kps.