Brinkmann’s 21 kills leads NKU VB past South Dakota in four sets

Anna Brinkmann was just two kills off of her career high as the senior outside hitter tallied 21 terminations in Northern Kentucky’s four-set win (11-25, 25-23, 25-21, 25-18 ) over South Dakota. The win moves the Norse to 2-1 on the season, while the Coyotes start the year at 0-1.
  
STATS LEADERS 

• Brinkmann tallied 12 digs to go with her 21 kills for her second-straight double-double and 29^th of her career. She hit .333 on the afternoon with only four attack errors.
• Joy Banks rattled off 12 kills, hitting .267.
• Katy Yopko orchestrated the offense with 22 assists, while Miranda Wucherer added 20.
• Anna Burke led the back row with 14 scoops.
• Abby Kanakry contributed seven kills off of 15 swings.
• Lillian Leiner also registered double-figure digs for the second-straight match with 10.

FIRST SET SUMMARY   

• South Dakota dominated the first set 25-11, as the Norse struggled to find rhythm offensively.
• NKU registered six kills, but committed eight hitting errors as South Dakota recorded six blocks in the set.
• The Coyotes notched nine kills and didn’t commit an error, while also out-serving the Norse 5-0 in aces.

 
SECOND SET SUMMARY   

• Kanakry started NKU off with a termination and then Brinkmann took over with four kills, a solo block and an ace in registering six Norse points in a row and leading them to an 8-4 lead.
• South Dakota eventually called timeout trailing, 15-10, and ran all the way back to take a 22-20 lead
• Northern Kentucky used a Coyote service error, another solo block from Brinkmann and a Brinkmann termination to pull back in front.
• Wucherer served up an ace coming out of South Dakota’s second timeout and, following a point from the Coyote’s, Brinkmann put away her eighth kill of the set.
• Brinkmann accounted for 11 on NKU’s points.
• The Norse finished the frame with 13 kills and just three errors (.323 hitting percentage), while the Coyotes hit .226 thanks to 13 kills and six errors.

 
THIRD SET SUMMARY 

• The early portion of the third set saw Brinkmann continue her run with three kills to help NKU build an 11-5 lead. Hunt, Wucherer and Banks contributed kills during the spurt as well.
• Similar to the second set, South Dakota whittled away and pulled within three at 21-18, but Northern Kentucky scored the next two points on a termination from Kanakry and hitting error by the Coyotes.
• NKU closed out the set, 25-21, posting 14 kills and just four errors. South Dakota nearly matched the Norse with 13 terminations, but committed eight hitting errors.

FOURTH SET SUMMARY 

• Banks got on a roll early with three terminations in the team’s first eight points. She finished the set with six total kills.
• South Dakota jumped out to leads of 7-5 and 10-8, but with the set tied at 13-all Northern Kentucky reeled off six-consecutive points to take command. Brinkmann started the rally with a kill and back-to-back aces, Banks added two kills and Hunt and Reilly Briggs teamed for a block.
• The Norse offense exploded for 16 kills and just four errors in the stanza. The Coyotes recorded 11 kills and five errors.

MATCH NOTES   

• Brinkmann’s 21 kills are the second most she’s posted in a match and is the third 20-kill performance of her career. She set her career-mark of 23 kills in NKU’s five-set win against Cincinnati in 2019.
• Banks reached double-digit kills for the first time in her brief Norse career. She has now increased her kill total and hitting percentage each time out.
• Northern Kentucky increased its kill total in every set on the day, going from six to 13 to 14 to 16 in the decisive fourth set.
• NKU finished the match hitting .229, while South Dakota hit just .182.
• With Burke, Brinkmann and Leiner all securing double-figure scoops, the Norse held a 58-52 advantage in digs.

  
NEXT UP 
Northern Kentucky squares off against Missouri on Saturday, Sept. 4 at 3:30 p.m.
 

#NorseUp

Bryan

Bryan McEldowney

Assistant Athletic Director

Communications and Media Services

Northern Kentucky University