HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Returning to the court for the first time in two weeks, the Northern Kentucky volleyball team split a road doubleheader against Robert Morris. After falling in straight sets in the opener (25-16, 25-16, 25-23), the Norse rallied for a four-set win (25-22, 25-21, 20-25, 25-20) in the night cap. NKU moves to 9-4 overall and 8-4 in Horizon League play, while RMU sits at 4-12 both overall and against league opposition.
 
Northern Kentucky's split was enough to help them climb into third-place in the final league standings based on winning percentage.
 
Match 1: NKU 0, RMU 3
STATS LEADERS   

• Miranda Wucherer led the Norse with nine kills, just missing a double-double with 11 assists as well.
• Abby Kanakry contributed eight terminations, while Kaelin Gentile added seven at a .294 hitting percentage.
• Ashton Terrill led the backline with 13 digs.
• Katy Yopko distributed 15 assists and also narrowly missed a double-double with nine scoops.
   

FIRST SET SUMMARY   

• The Norse scored the first point, but the Colonials rattled off five straight to take a lead they would never relinquish in a 25-16 decision.
• NKU had nine kills in the set, led by three from Wucherer, but eight attack errors proved costly.
• RMU terminated 11 attacks and had just five hitting errors.

 
SECOND SET SUMMARY   

• Set No. 2 followed a familiar script. With the frame tied at two, Robert Morris used a 5-0 run to grab control.
• Northern Kentucky regrouped and staved off five set points, but fell, 26-16.
• NKU had another nine kills, but RMU put away 15.

 
THIRD SET SUMMARY 

• The Norse tried to flip the script in the third set, grabbing as much as a seven-point lead at 13-6. However, the Colonials rallied to take the frame 25-23.
• NKU terminated 15 attacks and had seven errors, while RMU registered 13 kills and five hitting miscues.

 
MATCH NOTES   

• NKU's five-match winning streak came to an end with the loss.
• Gentile added six digs in the match, establishing a new career high.

 
 Match 2: NKU 3, RMU 1
STATS LEADERS   

• Kanakry's attack was on fire as the sophomore terminated at a .421 clip en route to a career-high 18 kills.
• For the second-straight match, Gentile established a new career-high dig total with 10. She finished with nine kills.
• Wucherer registered her seventh double-double of the season with 19 assists and 11 digs. She was just off a triple-double with nine kills to her name as well.
• Yopko distributed 25 assists and Terrill had a match-high 22 digs.
   

FIRST SET SUMMARY   

• Robert Morris led 6-3 early, but Northern Kentucky put together a 9-1 run to gain a 12-7 advantage.
• The Colonials responded and took a 19-17 lead, only to see the Norse have the answer in the form of an 8-3 spurt to take a 25-22 win in the set.
• NKU had 15 kills, led by four from Wucherer and three each from Gentile and Siefke. RMU had just 12 terminations.
• Terrill had six digs to lead the back line.

 
SECOND SET SUMMARY   

• An early 6-0 Norse run put them in control as they ran out to an 18-12 lead.
• NKU then withstood RMU cutting the margin to three on three separate occasions en route to the 25-21 set win.
• For the second set in a row, the Norse terminated 15 kills. Kanakry registered seven of the team's kills.
• The Colonials put away 14 attacks, but committed more errors, 8-5, than the Norse.
• Terrill added another eight scoops to her tally.

 
THIRD SET SUMMARY 

• The third set was tight throughout with no team leading by more than a pair until Robert Morris eventually pulled away late in the set for the 25-20 win.
• Both teams converted at a high rate with the Norse hitting at a .267 clip while the Colonials terminated at .286.
• Kanakry put down four kills to lead NKU.

 
FOURTH SET SUMMARY 

• Northern Kentucky sprinted out of the blocks and raced out to a 19-9 advantage.
• An answer by Robert Morris came by way of a 6-1 run to cut the Norse lead to five, 20-15.
• RMU eventually pulled within three on two separate occasions, but NKU scored three of the last four points to take the fourth set, 25-20.
• The Norse saved their best attacking in terms of hitting percentage for the final set, terminated at a .353 clip. On the defensive side, they limited the Colonials to .150 hitting.

 
MATCH NOTES   

• Northern Kentucky's attack was efficient on the evening. The Norse hit .252 compared to .160 for the Colonials.
• Across the two matches, Kanakry terminated 26 attacks to average 3.71 kps.
• Gentile registered 16 digs on the day and established back-to-back career-high totals.

 
NEXT UP 
Northern Kentucky finished third in the Horizon League regular-season, earning a spot in the four-team Horizon League Championship. NKU will play at UIC on Sunday, March 28 at 2 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (CT).