Kristina Eisenmenger, Lynne Fischesser

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team will meet Lewis in the first round of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament at 1 p.m. Thursday at Kansas City, Mo.

NKU enters the GLVC Tournament as the No. 3 seed with a 25-6 overall record. Lewis is the No. 6 seed and owns a 17-12 record.

Rockhurst (26-5) is the No. 1 seed and host for the GLVC Tournament. Southern Illinois at Edwardsville (24-5) is the No. 2 seed and enters the GLVC Tournament having won a school-record 15 consecutive matches.

If NKU defeats Lewis, the Norse would face either SIUE or seventh-seeded Drury in the semifinals at 6 p.m. Friday. The championship match is set for 3 p.m. Saturday, and the winner will receive and automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.

NKU and Lewis met once this season, and the Norse pulled out a five-game victory in Regents Hall on Oct. 1. Freshman right-side hitter Kristina Eisenmenger led the Norse with 21 kills and seven blocks in that victory.

Tristen Dye and Julie Lewis combined for 33 kills last Saturday afternoon as NKU defeated West Virginia State, 30-12, 30-20, 30-26, in Regents Hall. Dye slammed down 17 kills and hit .517 for NKU. Lewis added 16 kills and a .483 hitting percentage as the Norse finished with a perfect (9-0) home record this season.

Liz Holmes finished with 14 kills and a .385 hitting percentage for NKU, which attacked at a .418 clip for the match. Andrea Lanham recorded 50 assists, five kills and a .556 hitting percentage.

Lanham enters the GLVC Tournament with 3,373 career assists, which ranks second in Norse history.

Holmes is second in the GLVC in hitting percentage (.349), kills (3.88 kpg) and service aces (0.55 sapg). Eisenmenger is third in hitting percentage (.341) in the GLVC.