Nov. 15, 1999

GREAT LAKES REGIONAL VOLLEYBALL PREVIEW

Northern Kentucky University Norse

(No. 1 seed)

Northern Kentucky University owns a 30-1 record going into the NCAA Division II Tournament, and the Norse won their third consecutive Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament championship last week.

NKU is led by senior outside hitter Jenny Jeremiah, who earned GLVC Player of the Year honors this season. Jeremiah has 465 kills, and she leads the nation in digs per game with an average of 5.77 dpg. Junior middle hitter Jessica Buroker leads the GLVC in hitting percentage (.413), and she has recorded 353 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Bethany Gastright is No. 2 on the team in kills with 404 and she has a .316 hitting percentage. Junior setter Bobbi Casey leads the GLVC in assists (13.2 apg) and service aces (0.654).

Buroker, Gastright and Casey earned All-GLVC honors this season for the Norse, who have won 23 consecutive matches entering the NCAA Tournament.

Northwood University Timberwolves

(No. 2 seed)

Northwood University enters the NCAA Division II Tournament with a 26-7 record, and the Timberwolves claimed the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament championship last week.

Northwood features senior outside hitter Romana Moravkova, who leads the Timberwolves in kills (543) and hitting percentage (.379). Moravkova also earned GLIAC Player of the Year honors this season. Junior middle hitter Dena Zizkova, another All-GLIAC performer, ranks No. 2 on the team with 381 kills and a .341 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Amy Gruszynski was also first team All-GLIAC this year and has recorded 920 assists.

The Timberwolves have won 20 consecutive matches entering the NCAA Tournament, and they own two wins against Northern Michigan this season. Northwood also won two of three matches against Ferris State, and the Timberwolves lost to NKU earlier this season in a match played at Fort Wayne, Ind.

Northern Michigan University Wildcats

(No. 3 seed)

Northern Michigan University owns a 28-10 record going into the NCAA Division II Tournament, and the Wildcats posted a fourth-place finish at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament last week.

The Wildcats feature freshman outside hitter Nirvana Kos, who has recorded 507 kills and 379 digs this season. Kos was named GLIAC Freshman of the Year and earned first team All-GLIAC honors. Sophomore middle hitter Meirong Lu has 456 kills and a .292 hitting percentage. Lu, who earned first team All-GLIAC honors, also has 456 digs. Lu was also named to the GLIAC All-Tournament Team last week.

Junior middle hitter Yvette Sixbey leads NMU with 42 solo blocks and 109 block assists. Sixbey, who also has 314 kills, earned second team All-GLIAC honors this season. Freshman setter Meaghan Kimball has recorded 1,105 assists this season, and she also has 33 service aces.

Ferris State University Bulldogs

(No. 4 seed)

Ferris State University has posted a 26-7 record entering the NCAA Division II Tournament, and the Bulldogs finished second at the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Tournament last week.

Ferris State, which has won 10 of its last 13 matches going into the NCAA Tournament, defeated both Hillsdale and Northern Michigan in the GLIAC Tournament before falling to Northwood in the championship match. The Bulldogs feature junior middle hitter Sarah VanderMolen, who leads the team with 431 kills, 344 digs and 22 solo blocks. VanderMolen, a first team All-GLIAC performer, also has 39 service aces this season. Sophomore setter Lisa Chard has recorded 1,262 assists this year, and she has 32 service aces. Chard, a first team All-GLIAC selection, also has picked up 279 digs.

Junior outside hitter Morgan Buckner is No. 2 on the team with 371 kills, and she also ranks second for Ferris State with 43 service aces. Buckner also has picked up 324 digs. Sophomore middle hitter Erin Minnis has 274 kills and 16 solo blocks this year.

NCAA Division II Great Lakes Regional Tournament

(at NKU’s Regents Hall)

Saturday, Nov. 20

Northwood (26-7) vs. Northern Michigan (28-10), noon

Northern Kentucky (30-1) vs. Ferris State (26-7), 2 p.m.

Sunday, Nov. 21

Championship match, 2:30 p.m.