HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. – Road contests against Milwaukee, Green Bay and UIC await the Northern Kentucky volleyball team, as the Norse will close out their 13-game road trip to start the 2021 season. NKU plays at Milwaukee on Sept. 30, Green Bay on Oct. 1 and UIC on Oct. 3.
 
Game Information
Northern Kentucky University Norse (5-5 Overall, 1-0 Horizon League)
University of Wisconsin Milwaukee Panthers (8-6 Overall, 2-0 Horizon League)
Thursday, Sept. 30 – 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT)
Milwaukee, Wis. | Klotsche Center (3,500)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
University of Wisconsin Green Bay Phoenix (7-8 Overall, 2-1 Horizon League)
Friday, Oct. 1 – 7 p.m. (ET)/6 p.m. (CT)
Green Bay, Wis. | Kress Center (3,500)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
University of Illinois at Chicago Flames (7-8 Overall, 3-0 Horizon League)
Sunday, Oct. 3 – 3 p.m. (ET)/2 p.m. (CT)
Chicago | Flames Athletics Center (500)
Broadcast: ESPN+
Stats: Live Stats
 
Quick Hitters
• NKU opened #HLVB play with a thrilling 5-set win over Wright State.
• NKU wraps up its 13-game road trip to start the 2021 season with games at Milwaukee, Green Bay and UIC.
• NKU is 7-6 all-time versus Milwaukee, 8-9 all-time against Green Bay and 11-4 versus UIC.
• NKU was chosen third in the #HLVB preseason poll, between UIC (2nd) and Milwaukee (4th).
• Northern Kentucky's nonconference slate was tough, including two teams currently ranked in the top-10 - No. 8 Ohio State (L, 0-3) and No. 3 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.
• Over the last four seasons (2018-21), NKU is a combined 54-33 (.621 winning percentage).
• 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.
• OH Anna Brinkmann ranks 61st in the country in kills per set at 3.92 with double-figure kills in her last nine matches.
• Brinkmann also has seven double-doubles on the season, including a current streak of three-straight.
• Brinkmann was named #HLVB Player of the Week after earning tournament MVP honors at Miami after posting 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 at her setter/opposite hitter position. She's amassed 36 double-doubles in her career, including eight triple doubles. She already has two triple-doubles this year, which rank third in the country.
• Briggs was third on the team in kills in 2020, but is second so far this year at 2.71 kps.
• In her last five matches, Briggs has averaged 3.45 kills per set and hit .296 from her right-side position. She is coming off of a 16-kill, 1-error, .375-hitting effort in NKU's win at WSU.
• 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 4.68 this year, which ranks 57th in the country.
• Burke already has five 20-dig matches on the season, including a career-high 29 at Ball State on Sept. 18.
• S Katy Yopko is orchestrating the Norse offense, handing out 5.92 assists per set.
• Yopko is coming off of her second career double-double, where she posted 30 assists and 11 digs in NKU's win at Wright State.
• MB/OPP Abby Kanakry is averaging 1.76 kills and 0.95 blocks per set.
• DS Lillian Leiner registered a career-high 20 digs versus Evansville and is contributing 2.58 dps. She already has four double-figure dig efforts this year after registering two last season.
• 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 1.76 kps.
• MB Natalie Hardig leads the Norse and ranks 4th in the league in blocks at 1.04 bps.