HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team will close out the regular season this weekend with road matches at Saint Joseph’s College (8 p.m. Friday) and the University of Indianapolis (2 p.m. Saturday).
NKU is 19-8 overall after suffering a 30-25, 30-20, 30-26 loss at the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday. The Norse are 10-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference and in third place in the league standings.
Southern Indiana (21-6 overall, 10-2 GLVC) claimed sole possession of first place in the GLVC with that victory, and the Lady Eagles can wrap up the No. 1 seed in the GLVC Tournament by winning their final two matches this weekend. Southern Indiana will play host to Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville on Friday, and the Lady Eagles close out the regular season Saturday with a home match against the University of Missouri-St. Louis.
Lewis University - which dropped a five-game decision at SIUE last Saturday to fall out of first place - can earn the No. 2 seed in the GLVC Tournament by beating Quincy University on Saturday at Romeoville, Ill. If Southern Indiana loses either of its final two matches, Lewis could also claim the No. 1 seed with a win over Quincy.
NKU has an outside shot at earning the No. 1 seed, but the Norse would have to win twice this weekend and hope both Southern Indiana and Lewis lose. If Southern Indiana and Lewis both win out, NKU will get the No. 3 seed with wins at Saint Joseph’s and Indianapolis.
GLVC TOURNAMENT NEXT WEEK: NKU will begin play at the GLVC Tournament on Nov. 14. The Norse will enter the GLVC Tournament as the five-time defending champion.
The winner of the GLVC Tournament will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
TAYLOR REMAINS NO. 1: NKU junior setter Sara Taylor is No. 1 nationally in the NCAA Division II rankings in assists with 13.73 assists per game. Taylor recorded a double-double (37 assists, 11 digs) Saturday against Southern Indiana.
NKU GETS REMATCH WITH INDY: On Oct. 4, Shaun McAllister recorded 14 kills, 12 digs and four service aces as Indianapolis stunned NKU, 21-30, 30-24, 30-16, 30-22, in Regents Hall.
Emily Bristol added 13 kills and a .429 hitting percentage as Indianapolis defeated NKU for the first time in history. Going into that contest, NKU owned a 30-0 lead in the all-time series with the Greyhounds.
NKU AGAINST SJC: NKU leads the all-time series with Saint Joseph’s by a 21-5 count. Earlier this season, Maggie Pugh finished with 17 kills and a .389 hitting percentage as the Norse defeated Saint Joseph’s, 30-17, 30-23, 30-24, in Regents Hall.
Kristin Koralewski recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 13 digs, and Nicole Salisbury added eight kills and 13 digs for the Norse.
Sara Taylor