Northern Kentucky volleyball played a tight match against Milwaukee on Friday evening, but the Panthers came out on top in every set to sweep the Norse, 26-24, 25-23, 28-26. With the loss, NKU falls to 10-12 overall and 6-7 in the Horizon League, while Milwaukee advances to 12-15 (5-8 HL).
First Set Summary
· Though it was a tight set throughout, the Norse at one point held an 18-14 advantage over Milwaukee in the opening frame before three straight kills and two NKU miscues allowed the Panthers to take a 19-18 lead.
· NKU battled back with an attack led by Laura Crawford to hold set point, 24-22, but Bridget Wallenberger rattled off four kills in a row to lead the Panthers to a 26-24 set win.
· Crawford recorded six kills in the set, while Haley Libs added three kills and led NKU’s defense with seven digs.
Second Set Summary
· Milwaukee took a more commanding lead in the second set, holding NKU off by as many as six points before the Norse started to chip away at the deficit and tie it up at 17-17.
· Drew Hendricks had a superb outing in the frame, terminating five balls on 12 attempts with no errors while Crawford added four kills.
· NKU’s defense suffered in the set with just 10 digs.
Third Set Summary
· Facing a 22-17 deficit, the Norse did not give up easily in the final set. NKU had four kills from Libs in a five-point span, allowing the Norse to knot the contest at 22-22.
· The set went extra points, but once again it was Wallenberger who shut the door on a Norse comeback, notching the Panthers’ final two kills before ending the match with an ace.
· Libs and Crawford were nearly errorless, combining for 11 kills on 27 attempts with just one miscue. In the back row, McKenzie Eskridge and Ashton Terrill picked up four digs apiece.
Norse Notes
· Crawford led the Norse offense with 16 kills, also assisting on two of NKU’s three blocks.
· Libs recorded her 15th double-double of the season with 11 kills and 13 digs.
· Terrill also had double-digit digs, with 10, and served up two aces.
· Hendricks was just short of double-digit kills, terminating nine for the Norse.
· Milwaukee had an uncharacteristically strong defensive match, out-digging the Norse 62-48. NKU was also plagued in the middle by Wallenberger, who hit .429 with 23 kills along with five blocks for the Panthers.
· The Norse hit a respectable .203 for the match, but UWM had a slight edge at a .261 clip
Up Next
· NKU is back in action tomorrow night at UIC, with first serve scheduled for 5 p.m. ET. The match will be broadcast on ESPN3 with streaming available on computers, tablets, smart phones and streaming devices through WatchESPN and the ESPN App.
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Chloe Smith
Assistant Athletic Communications Director
Northern Kentucky University
