HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – With the first four weekends of nonconference action squarely in the review mirror, Northern Kentucky turns its sights onto the Horizon League slate which begins with a trip to Dayton, Ohio, for a meeting against Wright State. First serve for the Saturday, Sept. 26, contest is set for 4 p.m.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (4-5 Overall, 0-0 Horizon League)
Wright State University Raiders (8-4 Overall, 0-0 MAC)
Saturday, Sept. 25 – 4:00 p.m. (ET)
Dayton, Ohio | C.J. McLin Gymnasium (450)
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU dropped a pair of decisions at Ball State, falling 3-0 and 3-2 last weekend.
• Northern Kentucky opened the 2021 season with a tough nonconference slate, 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 both Ohio (W, 3-2) and Ball State (L, 0-3, L, 2-3) perennially finds themselves in the top-50-100 of the RPI. Evansville was 7-0 when they played the Norse.
• NKU opens #HLVB action against Wright State.
• NKU is 22-17 all-time against the Raiders and 12-6 in the DI-era, WSU has won four of the last five meetings.
• NKU was chosen third in the #HLVB preseason poll, while WSU was the preseason favorite.
• 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.
• Over the last four seasons (2018-21), NKU is a combined 53-33 (.616 winning percentage).
• OH Anna Brinkmann has been on a tear this year, ranking 54th in the country in kills per set at 3.97 and posting double-figure kills in her last eight matches.
• Over the last four matches, Brinkmann has averaged 4.13 kps at an astonishing .331 hitting percentage as an outside.
• Brinkmann was named #HLVB Player of the Week after earning tournament MVP honors at Miami. Her stat line included 3.71 kps, .324 hitting percentage, 0.86 bps and 0.57 aces per set.
• S/RS Miranda Wucherer and OH/RS Reilly 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 14 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 2.64 kps. In Miami, she averaged 3.86 kills per set behind a .315 hitting percentage.
• In her last four matches, Briggs has averaged 3.53 kps on the strength of .269 hitting.
• MB/OPP Abby Kanakry is averaging 1.85 kills per set and is second on the team at 0.91 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 4.88 this year, which ranks 38th 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 and is contributing 2.45 dps.
• Freshman OH Joy Banks, was an Under Armour High School All-America Honorable Mention honoree after averaging 5.7 kills behind .401 hitting as a senior. She is contributing 1.88 kps.