HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – A two-game trip to Cleveland State and Oakland awaits Northern Kentucky as the team wraps up its regular season with the two matches. First serve between the Norse and Vikings on Friday, Nov. 12 is scheduled for 6 p.m., while NKU and Oakland will play at 4 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 13.
 
Match Information
Northern Kentucky Norse (17-7 Overall, 13-2 Horizon League)
Cleveland State Vikings (8-19 Overall, 6-10 Horizon League)
Friday, Nov. 12 – 6 p.m.
Cleveland, Ohio | Woodling Gymnasium (3,000)
Broadcast: N/A
Stats: Live Stats
 
Oakland Golden Golden Grizzlies (15-12 Overall, 9-7 Horizon League)
Saturday, Nov. 13 – 4 p.m.
Rochester, Mich. | Athletics Center O'rena (4,000)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU is riding a five-match winning streak after winning at IUPUI and PFW last weekend.
• NKU closes the regular season with two more road matches at Cleveland State and Oakland. The Norse are 10-10 all-time versus the Vikings and have won the last seven in the series, while they are just 5-12 against the Golden Grizzlies but have won four of the last five contests.
• NKU leads the League in blocks in both all matches (2.55 bps) and league-only matches (3.11 bps).
• On Sept. 30, NKU ranked 179th in the country at 2.00 blocks per set. As of Oct .31, the Norse ranked 34th at 2.54 blocks per set.
• Northern Kentucky's nonconference slate was tough, including two teams currently ranked in the top-10 - No. 1 Louisville and No. 10 Ohio State. Missouri was receiving votes in the AVCA preseason poll. Ball State ranks 35th in the RPI. South Dakota is also inside the RPI Top100 at 85.
• 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 blocks per set (34th, 2.54),  total blocks (44th, 226.0), hitting percentage (66th, .242), kills per set (85th, 13.26) and assists per set (88th, 12.08).
• Over the last four seasons (2018-21), NKU is a combined 66-35 (.653 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 eclipsed 1,000 career kills versus Green Bay, becoming NKU's 20th member of the 1,000-kill club.
• Brinkmann is also nearing the 1,000-dig (998) plateau. She would become the 23rd Norse to reach the millennia mark in digs and 11th player to join the 1,000-kill, 1000-dig club.
• 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.
• Briggs' has taken a massive step forward in production for NKU this year. Her 271 kills are three shy of her total from her freshman and sophomore campaigns. Her 3.04 kills per set and .292 hitting percentage are also career-highs.
• 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 4.58 this year, which ranks 67th in the country and third in the Horizon League.
• Burke already has 10 20-dig matches on the season, including a career-high 29 at Ball State on Sept. 18 and 22 in NKU's sweep of Milwaukee.
• S Katy Yopko is helping orchestrate the Norse offense, handing out 5.58 assists per set. She has three double-doubles on the year.
• S/RS Miranda 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.
• MB/OPP Abby Kanakry is averaging 2.06 kills and 0.94 blocks per set, ranking 6th in the league. In league play, she is averaging 0.96 bps (9th in Horizon League).
• DS Lillian Leiner registered a career-high 20 digs versus Evansville and is contributing 2.30 dps. She has eight double-figure dig efforts this year, including three in the last four matches.
• MB Sequoia Hunt leads the league in blocks in all matches (1.08 bps) and league-only matches (1.35 bps).
• MB Natalie Hardig contributes 0.96 bps (5th in the Horizon) and 0.97 bps in league matches, ranking 7th.
• NKU averaged 3.90 blocks per set against MKE, GB and UIC, with Hardig (1.86), Hunt (1.71), MB Allie Siefke (1.50) and Briggs (1.00) each averaging at least 1.00 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 1.74 kps and has three double-digit kill performances this year.
• HC Liz Hart picked up her 200th-career win against Cleveland State earlier this year.