---Liz Holmes (top) hammers an attack against Bellarmine off a set from Natalie Forbes (7). Holmes is No. 1 in the GLVC in hitting percentage (.471), while Forbes leads the league in assists at 12.91 apg.

HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - When Southern Illinois at Edwardsville visits Regents Hall at 7 p.m. Friday to take on Northern Kentucky University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference volleyball showdown, much is at stake for both teams.

SIUE enters the match ranked 12th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, and the Cougars are 13-3 overall. SIUE – which has not lost a regular-season GLVC match since 2005 – owns a 6-0 mark and is atop the GLVC West standings.

NKU is ranked 24th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll and is 15-4 overall. The Norse, who have played one of the nation’s toughest schedules this season and own three victories over teams ranked in the top 10, are 4-2 in the GLVC.

A year ago, SIUE rallied from a 2-0 deficit in games to post a 35-37, 27-30, 30-23, 30-26, 15-8 win over NKU in Regents Hall. The Cougars hit .459 in the fourth game and .538 in the fifth to defeat the Norse for the sixth consecutive time.

NKU has not beaten SIUE since Sept. 28, 2002, when the Norse pulled out a five-game victory at Edwardsville, Ill.

HOLMES ATOP THE GLVC: NKU’s Liz Holmes continues to lead the GLVC in hitting percentage at .471 and is No. 4 nationally in that category. Holmes, a senior middle hitter, enters Friday with 1,580 career kills, which ranks fifth in Norse history. She needs three kills to pass Kerry Lewin for fourth place on the NKU all-time list.

FORBES NO. 1: NKU junior setter Natalie Forbes leads the GLVC in assists at 12.91 apg. The Highlands High School graduate ranks No. 11 nationally in that category.

EISENMENGER IN TOP 20 NATIONALLY: NKU junior right-side hitter Kristina Eisenmenger ranks 19th nationally in hitting percentage at .374. Eisenmenger, a Notre Dame Academy graduate, notched her 1,000th career kill on Sept. 15 to join Holmes and Tristen Dye as current Norse in the 1,000-kills club.

SOUTHERN INDIANA NEXT: NKU will play host to Southern Indiana at 3 p.m. Saturday in another GLVC battle. The Screaming Eagles are currently 8-6 overall, 3-3 in the GLVC. That match will also be televised live on ICN Cable Channel 18.

NCAA Division II/AVCA coaches poll
Rank, School, (First-Place Votes), Total Points, 2007 Record, Last Week
1 Tampa (29) 890 13-1 1
2 Cal State San Bernardino (2) 861 13-1 2
3 Minnesota Duluth (5) 839 15-1 3
4 Southwest Minnesota State 774 13-2 6
5 Central Missouri 757 18-1 5
6 Concordia-St. Paul 708 14-2 4
7 Washburn 697 18-1 7
8 Truman 643 15-3 8
9 Florida Southern 597 12-4 9
10 Grand Valley State 576 15-2 11
11 Augustana (S.D.) 492 13-4 13
12 SIU Edwardsville 487 13-3 14
13 Ashland 433 14-2 10
14 Pittsburg State 407 16-3 12
15 Hillsdale 400 14-4 17
16 Minnesota State 363 12-3 15
17 Cal State L.A. 353 9-4 16
18 West Texas A&M 301 13-5 19
19 Chico State 275 11-4 20
20 UC San Diego 178 9-5 21
21 Nebraska-Omaha 166 8-5 18
22 Nebraska-Kearney 112 13-3 25
23 Emporia State 95 14-3 NR
24 Northern Kentucky 71 15-4 22
25 Indianapolis 55 15-1 NR
Others Receiving Votes and listed on two or more ballots: South Dakota 44; Rockhurst 35; Northwood (Mich.) 30; West Florida 20; Cal Poly Pomona 12; Western Washington 11; Findlay 6; Lewis 6.