ROMEOVILLE, Ill. - Nicole Salisbury and Cammi Welter combined for 30 kills and 25 digs Friday night as the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team defeated top-seeded Lewis University, 33-31, 30-27, 30-28, in the semifinals of the Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
Salisbury finished with 16 kills and 12 digs, while Welter recorded 14 kills and 13 digs as fourth-seeded NKU - which has won five consecutive GLVC championships - improved to 22-9 and advanced to the GLVC championship match for the ninth straight year. Kristin Koralewski added 12 kills, nine digs and two service aces for the Norse, who have won 10 of their last 11 matches against Lewis (25-4 overall record) on the Flyers’ home floor.
Sara Taylor added 57 assists and six digs for the Norse, who will face second-seeded University of Southern Indiana (24-7 overall record) at 3 p.m. Saturday for the GLVC championship. Kaliana Kalache finished with 11 kills and five blocks for NKU.
NKU has won 17 consecutive matches in the GLVC Tournament. The Norse have not lost in the GLVC Tournament since Nov. 16, 1996, when Indiana-Purdue University at Fort Wayne posted a 15-12, 14-16, 15-12, 15-13 win over NKU in the championship match at Fort Wayne, Ind.
The winner of the GLVC Tournament will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament. NKU owns a total of seven GLVC championships (1985, 1995, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001).
Nicole Salisbury