HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – The regular-season nonconference schedule for the Northern Kentucky volleyball teams comes to a close with two matches at Ball State, one each on Friday, Sept. 17, and Saturday, Sept. 18. Both matches will be played in Muncie, Indiana.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-3 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Ball State University Cardinals (8-2 Overall, 0-0 MAC)
Friday, Sept. 17 – 6:30 p.m. (ET)
Saturday, Sept. 18 – 3:00 p.m. (ET)
Muncie, Ind. | Worthen Arena (11,500)
Broadcast (Friday): ESPN3
Broadcast (Saturday): ESPN3
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU won the Miami/Best Western Sycamore Inn Invitational with victories over previously undefeated Evansville (3-1) and Miami (3-0).
• Northern Kentucky opened the 2021 season with a tough slate of games in its first three weekends, including two teams currently ranked in the top-5 - No. 3 Ohio State (L, 0-3) and No. 5 Louisville. Missouri was receiving votes in the preseason poll. South Dakota was in the RPI top-50 in each of the last two years (42 in 2020,  38 in 2019) and Ohio (W, 3-2) perennially finds itself in the top-100 of the RPI. Evansville entered at 7-0.
• NKU plays Ball State in back-to-back matches this weekend.
• NKU is 3-3 all-time against the Cardinals, but fell in five when the teams last played in 2019.
• With last year's #HLVB Tournament semifinal appearance, the Norse have now reached at least the semifinals of their conference tournament seven-straight years, equating to every season eligible for conference postseason tournament play (2014-present) since reclassifying to NCAA Division I beginning in 2012.
• NKU was chosen third in the #HLVB preseason poll.
• Over the last four seasons (2018-21), NKU is a combined 53-31 (.631 winning percentage).
• NKU had five players average more than 2.00 kills per set last year and four return this season  - OH Anna Brinkmann, S/RS Miranda Wucherer, MB/Opp Abby Kanakry, and OH Reilly Briggs.
• Brinkmann was named #HLVB Player of the Week after earning tournament MVP honors at Miami. She had a stat line that included 3.71 kps, .324 hitting percentage, 0.86 bps and 0.57 aces per set.
• Brinkmann's 3.80 kills per set rank 70th in the nation.
• Wucherer and Briggs joined Brinkmann on the all-tournament team at the conclusion of Miami's event.
• Wucherer is a versatile asset for the Norse. She's amassed 35 double-doubles in her career, including seven triple doubles. Wucherer ranked second in the nation in last year's COVID shortened season with two triple doubles and is one of only 10 players in the country to have one so far this season as well.
• Briggs was third on the team in kills in 2020, but is second so far this year at 2.44 kps. Last weekend, she averaged 3.86 kills per set behind a .315 hitting percentage.
• Kanakry is averaging 1.80 kills per set and is second on the team at 0.84 blocks per set.
• 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 4.96 this year, which ranks 35th in the country.
• Burke was named to the Cardinal Classic All-Tournament Team at Louisville after picking up 5.60 dps, which included back-to-back 20-dig efforts in three-set matches versus Missouri (22) and then-No. 12 Louisville (20).
• S Katy Yopko is orchestrating the Norse offense, handing out 5.68 assists per set.
• DS Lillian Leiner registered a career-high 20 digs versus Evansville.
• The Norse welcomed three newcomers, OH Joy Banks, MB Sequoia Hunt and DS/L Lucy Cluxton. Banks was an Under Armour High School All-America Honorable Mention honoree after averaging 5.7 kills behind .401 hitting as a senior. Hunt hit .330 and terminated 113 kills en route to earning KVCA All-State Honorable Mention Status. Cluxton amassed 191 digs, 187 kills and 44 aces as a senior, and is anticipated to redshirt this season at NKU.