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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - For a moment, it appeared Northern Kentucky University had pulled off a remarkable comeback victory Saturday afternoon. After dropping the first two games, the Norse had battled back against No. 17 Rockhurst and held match point in the fifth game. Rockhurst, however, refused to fold and tied the game at 14-all on a kill by Alison Larson. The Hawks scored three of the next four points to close out a thrilling, exhausting 30-25, 30-24, 27-30, 28-30, 17-15 win over NKU in Regents Hall. Rockhurst improved to 25-4 overall, 14-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. NKU - which knocked off No. 25 Findlay earlier in the week - fell to 19-12 overall, 10-6 in the GLVC. NKU came out strong in the opening game and built a 6-0 lead behind the play of Tristen Dye. The junior outside hitter opened the match with a kill and then served up three consecutive aces. Andrea Lanham and Kristina Eisenmenger followed with kills to make it 6-0, forcing Rockhurst to call a timeout. The Hawks responded with a 19-6 run to take a 19-12 lead. Rockhurst hit .333 to win the opener by a 30-25 score, and the Hawks attacked at a .354 clip to take the second game. Dye and Eisenmenger keyed a 30-27 NKU victory in the third game by combining for 12 kills. The Norse hit .372 in that stanza and allowed Rockhurst to convert just .229 of its attack attempts. Dye finished off the game with a kill off a set from Lanham. NKU built a 21-13 lead in the fourth game, but Rockhurst countered with a 13-5 run to tie the score at 26-all. With the game tied at 28-all, Kate Niemier served the ball out of bounds to give NKU a 29-28 edge. Dye came through again on game point by converting an attack as NKU tied the match at 2-2. Rockhurst took control early in the deciding game, building a 5-0 lead. The Hawks extended their advantage to 11-4 after Rachel Fowler recorded a kill, but NKU rallied in big-time fashion. Dye, Liz Holmes and Nicole Baker each notched two kills during an 8-1 run as NKU tied the game at 12-all.
After trading points, NKU took a 14-13 lead when Eisenmenger hammered down an attack. Dye served at match point, but Rockhurst set the ball for Larson, who took the set from Amanda Hydorn and tied the game at 14-all with a kill. With Rockhurst holding a 16-15 lead, Fowler ended the match by slamming down a kill from the middle. NKU hit .417 in the fifth game, while Rockhurst hit .303. Dye led all attackers with 23 kills, and she attacked at a .365 clip for the match. She also added 14 digs and four aces. Holmes had 19 kills and 17 digs, and the junior middle hitter attacked at a .419 clip. Eisenmenger finished with 18 kills and five blocks, while Andrea Price recorded a double-double with 13 kills and 14 digs. Lanham also collected a double-double with 72 assists and 18 digs. The senior setter also served up five aces and had three blocks. Fowler and Larson each had 20 kills to pace Rockhurst. Nathalia Rivera added 18 kills for the Hawks, who earned the No. 2 seed in the upcoming GLVC Tournament with the win. NKU finished fifth in the GLVC and will meet No. 4 seed Indianapolis in the opening round of the GLVC Tournament at 6 p.m. (EST) Thursday at Edwardsville, Ill. NKU and Indianapolis played twice this season, and the Greyhounds won both meetings with the Norse. NKU closes out the regular season Monday at 7 p.m. with a non-conference match against Charleston (W. Va.) in Regents Hall. The Norse need one victory to reach the 20-win plateau for the 14th consecutive season. |
