HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Northern Kentucky dropped the first two sets to Cleveland State on Tuesday night, but rallied to win the final three in a come-from-behind victory (15-25, 23-25, 28-26, 25-16, 15-13) at Regents Hall. The win elevates NKU to 2-2 on the year, while the Vikings slip to 3-3.

STAT LEADERS

·       Miranda Wucherer registered a triple-double on the evening, contributing 16 kills, 28 assists and 13 digs. She hit at an impressive .316 clip and also registered five block assists.

·       Kaelin Gentile finished off the two-match meeting against the Vikings with a career-high 16 kills and added four block assists.

·       Anna Brinkmann registered a 14-kill, 14 dig double-double, while Katy Yopko put together the first of her career with 28 assists and 10 scoops.

·       Abby Kanakry provided the Norse with their fourth double-figure kills total, registering 13 on the afternoon.

·       Ashton Terrill and Anna Burke both registered double-digit digs, picking up 13 and 12, respectively.

FIRST SET SUMMARY

·       Northern Kentucky scored the first point via a Wucherer ace, but it was all Cleveland State from that point. The Vikings reeled off three-straight points followed by another five in row to push in front 8-2.

·       NKU countered with a small spurt to get within five at 16-11, but CSU closed out the set 25-15.

·       The Norse had 10 kills compared to just seven for the Vikings, but 11 attack errors proved costly for NKU.

SECOND SET SUMMARY

·       Set No. 2 saw both teams convert at efficient clips, with the Vikings registering 15 kills on a .344 hitting percentage and the Norse putting away 15 but at a .237 conversion rate.

·       After Cleveland State took a 10-6 lead, Northern Kentucky whittled away and eventually tied the set at 12.

·       From that point forward, neither team led by more than two points in the game, but CSU came out on top 25-23.

THIRD SET SUMMARY

·       An extra-point affair took place in the third, as the Norse staved off three match points before rattling off three-straight tallies via a Wucherer kill, Kanakry and Peytton Bagwell teaming on a block and Kanakry smashing one through the Viking block to give NKU the 28-26 win.

·       NKU's attack put away 20 kills in the frame, hitting .269. CSU terminated 14 balls at a .178 clip.

·       Gentile had five kills, while Brinkmann, Wucherer and Kanakry added four apiece.

·       Burke led the back row with six digs.

FOURTH SET

·       The Norse ran out to a commanding 8-2 lead early and eventually pushed it out to an eight-point margin at 15-7.

·       The Vikings then ran off three-straight points, but NKU countered and pulled back in front 19-11.

·       The Norse serve put the Vikings on their heels and ultimately resulted in four aces in the frame, including two from Kanakry.

·       While Wucherer paced NKU's attack with five kills, Allie Siefke was stout at the net with three blocks to help hold CSU to a .114 hitting percentage.

FIFTH SET

·       NKU put the first two points on the board, only to see CSU respond and even the set at four. Brinkmann, however, answered for the Norse and put away the next two points resulting in a Viking timeout.

·       The Norse tallied the first point out of the timeout, but the Vikings earned the next two to make it a one-point game at 7-6.

·       Northern Kentucky then used consecutive errors by Cleveland State  to pull ahead 13-10.

·       Following a point by the Vikings, Brinkmann put the Norse at match-point with a kill, but CSU called timeout and scored the next two tallies.

·       However, Wucherer and Bagwell teamed for a set- and match-winning block.

·       NKU converted at a .217 clip in the final frame, while CSU hit its lowest of the match at .080.

MATCH NOTES

·       Northern Kentucky finished with advantages in total kills (66-54), digs (91-89) and blocks (13.0-11.0).

·       Terrill entered today's match with 1,672 digs, four scoops away from Kylee Tarantino's 1,676 that ranked third all-time. Now with 1,685 digs for her career, Terril has moved into third and has her sights are set on Kerry Lewin's 1,729 in second.

·       Gentile had quite a two-game series for the Norse against the Vikings. She averaged 3.50 kps at a .300 hitting percentage.

·       Wucherer's triple-double is the fifth of her career and second against Cleveland State, which also serves as the last time she accomplished the feat. She registered 10 kills, 34 assists and 12 digs on Nov. 10, 2018, against the Vikings.

NEXT UP

A road trip to The Badger State awaits Northern Kentucky, as the Norse head to Green Bay for a pair of matches on Feb. 15-16.

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