VERMILLION, S.D. – Northern Kentucky volleyball, in their second match of the day, took Missouri to five total sets but the Tigers defeated the Norse by a final score of 3-2. Final set scores from this contest were 25-21, 26-24, 20-25, 23-25 and 8-15.

THE BASICS
Final Score: Missouri 3 – Northern Kentucky 2
Location: Sanford Coyote Sports Center – Vermillion, South Dakota
Records: Missouri: 1-0 (0-0 SEC), Northern Kentucky: 0-2 (0-0 Horizon)

HOW IT HAPPENED
Missouri shot out of the gate in the opening set with a 6-0 run to claim the early lead over NKU. The Norse answered with a 5-0 scoring run of their own, as multiple kills from Anna Brinkmann guided the Northern Kentucky comeback. The Norse then stayed hot late into the set with scoring runs of 4-0, 3-0 and 3-0 to win it 25-21. The second set saw the Tigers up early once again with a 9-6 lead following a 5-1 scoring run. The Norse kept close with Missouri late into the set, as a 7-1 scoring run from Northern Kentucky saw NKU take the set at 26-24. During this second set run the Norse saw kills from Joy Banks and Reilly Briggs along with service aces from Skyy Smith and Torie Houston. 

Set number three saw the Tigers with a quick 4-0 scoring run to open up the game and hold a 6-2 lead. The Norse and Missouri went on to trade points throughout most of this set, with NKU never managing to generate a big enough run to overtake their adversaries. The Tigers capped off the set three win at 25-20. Missouri kept the trend of creating a scoring run early in a set, holding down a 9-6 lead after ripping off four consecutive points. This set featured multiple ties throughout, until the Norse saw kills from Brinkmann and Briggs to go up 23-22 on the Tigers. Missouri however posted three straight points to win it 25-23 and force a set five. 

The final set fo this nonconference contest, saw both these programs trading points early leading to a 5-5 tie. Northern Kentucky sparked a three point run as a Briggs kill and a Sequoia Hunt and Briggs block to see the set knotted up at 8-8. Unfortunately Missouri found a huge answer to NKU's run with seven consecutive points for the 15-8 set win and took the match at 3-2. 

NORSE NOTES

• Anna Brinkmann led the Norse in total kills with 16 in this matchup. Brinkmann went on to finish the contest with her first double-double of the season with 14 digs. 
• Reilly Briggs posted her second straight match of double-digit kills with 14 in the match. 
• Skyy Smith anchored the defensive front for Northern Kentucky with eight total blocks. Smith added two service aces to her stat sheet as weel. 
• Setters Katy Yopko and Torie Houston each totaled over 20 assists with Yopko at 27 and Houston at 20 this evening. 
   

UP NEXT

Northern Kentucky will wrap up the 2022 Coyote Invitational tomorrow with one final match against host South Dakota. Game time for this nonconference tilt is slated for 7:00 p.m. (ET) from Vermillion, S.D. inside the Sanford Coyote Sports Center. 

FOLLOW NKU NORSE WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
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