HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Postseason competition begins for the Northern Kentucky volleyball team with a trip to Chicago, where the third-seeded Norse are set to play the second-seeded UIC Flames in the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (CT).
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (9-4 Overall, 8-4 Horizon League)
University of Illinois – Chicago "UIC" Flames (13-2 Overall, 13-1 Horizon League)
Sunday, March 28 – 2 p.m. (ET)/1 p.m. (CT)
Chicago | Flames Athletics Center (500)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• Despite playing short-handed and emerging from a COVID-related pause just days earlier, NKU earned a split at RMU to climb into third-place in the final #HLVB regular-season standings.
• NKU earned the No. 3 seed in the Horizon League Championship and faces No. 2 UIC.
• NKU is 11-3 all-time versus UIC, winning the last two and three of the last four in the series.
• This marks the sixth-straight season NKU has reached at least the semifinals of the Horizon League Championship, which equates to all six years as members of the league.
• In each of the last two years, NKU has reached the finals of the championship as well, losing to Green Bay in 2018 and defeating Milwaukee in 2019.
• NKU is climbing the national rankings in several categories, including ranking in the top-100 in opponent hitting percentage (69th, .164), aces per set (68th, 1.61), digs per set (63rd, 16.74), kills per set (84th, 13.04) and hitting percentage (91st, .221).
• NKU is coming off of a 19-13 season in which it defeated Milwaukee in the finals to win the Horizon League Tournament championship and played in its first-ever NCAA Tournament.
• The Norse were picked to finish second in the #HLVB Preseason Poll for the second-straight year, garnering three first-place votes and 111 points, one behind favorite Wright State.
• OH Anna Brinkmann and S/RS Miranda Wucherer were named to the All-Horizon League First Team and L/DS Ashton Terrill earned a spot on the Second Team.
• Brinkmann was twice named player of the week this year and is hitting .230 en route to 3.52 kills and 3.45 digs per set.
• Brinkmann opened the 2020-21 campaign with four-straight double-doubles and has six in nine games played on the season.
• Brinkmann has 16 aces and is averaging 0.48 aces per set, which ranks 35th nationally.
• Wucherer has two triple-doubles this year, which are the 5th-most nationally.
• Wucherer was named #HLVB Player of the Week on Feb. 11 after averaging 3.00 kps, 5.88 aps, 2.00 dps, 0.88 bps and hitting .300, as well as recording a triple-double against Cleveland State.
• Wucherer is doing a little bit of everything for the Norse in her dual role as setter and rightside, as she is averaging 5.70 assists, 2.59 digs and 2.13 kills per set.
• Terrill is now a three-time all-league honoree after being named all-league honorable mention in 2019 and a first-team performer in 2018.
• Terrill is working her way up the Norse annals, scooping 1,836 digs in her career to rank 2nd all-time at NKU and 8th in Horizon League history.
• Terrill's 4.87 dps rank 55th in the country.
• After missing two weeks, MB/OPP Abby Kanakry returned to the Norse lineup with a vengeance against Milwaukee, terminating 20 kills behind .545 hitting against the Panthers.
• In the last four matches since returning, Kanakry has hit .381 and averaged 3.29 k/s.
• MB/OPP Kaelin Gentile stepped up for NKU against Robert Morris, averaging 2.29 kps and 2.29 dps, registering career-high dig totals in back-to-back matches with six and 10, respectively.
• OH Reilly Briggs returns for her second season with the Norse. Briggs was a #HLVB All-Freshman Team performer last year and is averaging 2.40 kps for NKU this season.
• S Katy Yopko is contributing 4.83 assists and 1.77 digs per set in her freshman campaign.
• NKU has five players averaging at least 2.0 kills per set: Brinkmann (3.35), Kanakry (2.84), Briggs (2.40), Gentile (2.20) and Wucherer (2.13).
• MB Peytton Bagwell ranks fourth in #HLVB in blocks, registering 1.10 per set.