ROCHESTER, Mich. – Northern Kentucky closed out the 2021 regular season with its second seven-match winning streak of the year courtesy of a four-set win (22-25, 28-26, 25-13, 25-19) at Oakland. NKU wraps up the Horizon League slate at 15-2 and ends the regular season at 19-7 in all matches. OU finishes at 15-14 overall and 9-9 in league play.

STATS LEADERS

• A trio of Norse notched double-figure kills, led by Reilly Briggs with a team-high 16 kills on the strength of .333 hitting.
• Anna Brinkmann had a 14-kill, 16-dig double-double.
• With 10 kills courtesy of a .400 attack percentage, Joy Banks was the third Norse in double-digits.
• Anna Burke picked up 20 digs to lead a quartet of Norse with 10 or more. Lillian Leiner matched Brinkmann's 16 and Katy Yopko contributed 10 scoops to go along with her 25 assists for the second double-double of the evening for NKU.
• Miranda Wucherer flirted with both a double-double and triple-double. She posted nine kills, 27 assists and seven digs.
• Allie Seifke led the net defense with seven blocks.

 
FIRST SET SUMMARY   

• Briggs terminated each of her first three attempts to help NKU stake an 8-7 lead before the Norse used two kills from Brinkmann to bookend four unanswered points.
• After calling timeout, the Golden Grizzlies countered and tied the score at 13, resulting in a Norse timeout.
• After trading points to a 16-16 tie, Northern Kentucky scored five of the next six points to nab a 21-17 advantage and another Oakland timeout.
• Similar to OU's first timeout, it responded with three-straight points and went on an 8-1 run to win the set, 25-22.
• Brinkmann and Briggs both had three kills, while Leiner contributed five digs.

 
SECOND SET SUMMARY   

• It took extra points, but the Norse secured a 28-26 decision.
• Trailing 21-17, the Norse scored three-straight before the Golden Grizzlies answered with three-consecutive of their own to hold set point, 24-20.
• NKU rattled off the next four to tie the set and then scored four of the next six, including the final kill from Banks.
• Banks and Wucherer provided four kills apiece and Anna Burke patrolled the back row with nine digs.

 
THIRD SET SUMMARY 

• Three-consecutive points helped NKU grab a 10-7 advantage.
• While Oakland scored the next two points, Northern Kentucky went on a 5-0 run which catapulted the Norse to a 25-13 win.
• Brinkmann and Wucherer had four kills in the frame and Burke added another seven digs.

 
FOURTH SET SUMMARY 

• Trailing 3-2 early, the Norse used a 3-0 run to grab the lead and never trailed the rest of the way, although the Golden Grizzlies provided a challenge midway through the stanza.
• NKU built a six-point lead only to see OU cut it down to two twice, but Banks answered the first time and then Brinkmann registered a termination which was followed by a block from Kanakry and Siefke.
• That was all the momentum NKU needed, as the Norse put the match away, 25-19.
• Briggs provided seven terminations, Brinkmann picked up seven scoops, and Siefke had three blocks assists.

 
MATCH NOTES   

• Brinkmann's double-double is her 14^th of the year and 41^st of her career.
• Briggs has reached double-figures in total kills in nine-straight matches and 11 of the last 12.
• This marks the fourth time this year in which Banks has posted a double-figure kill total, joining matches against South Dakota (12), Missouri (10) and Robert Morris.
• Siefke's seven blocks are a new career high for the sophomore middle blocker.
• With tonight's match, Burke has posted 20 or more kills for the 11^th time this year.
• Northern Kentucky has won seven in a row for the second time this season. Both seven-match win streaks surround a single loss and are part of 14 victories in the last 15 contests.

 
NEXT UP 
Northern Kentucky readies for the Horizon League Tournament, which is being contested Nov. 19-21. While NKU has secured a top-2 seed and bye into the semifinals on Nov. 20, the final league standings and seedings are pending other league results this weekend.