HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Nicole Salisbury and Kristin Koralewski combined for 25 kills and 18 digs Saturday as the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team clinched the Great Lakes Valley Conference regular-season title with a 30-10, 30-14, 30-13 win over Kentucky Wesleyan College in Regents Hall.
Salisbury finished with 16 kills, nine digs and a .609 hitting percentage as NKU improved to 23-10 overall, 13-2 in the GLVC. The Norse converted 51 of 85 attacks with just 11 errors for a .471 hitting percentage and extended their winning streak to eight.
Koralewski added nine kills, nine digs, four service aces and a .692 hitting percentage for NKU, which earned the No. 1 seed in the GLVC Tournament with the win. The Norse will play at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday against No. 8 seed University of Missouri-St. Louis in Regents Hall.
Maggie Pugh collected eight kills and six blocks, and she finished with a .467 hitting percentage. Sara Taylor added 46 assists - including her 3,000th career assist - and also served up four aces for the Norse.
Taylor, a senior setter from Louisville, Ky., enters Thursday’s GLVC Tournament match against Missouri-St. Louis with 3,032 total assists.
NKU, which has won six of the past eight GLVC Tournament championships, is 14-0 all-time against Missouri-St. Louis. The Norse defeated the Riverwomen in three games earlier this season in Regents Hall.
If NKU defeats Missouri-St. Louis, the Norse will face either fourth-seeded Quincy University or fifth-seeded University of Southern Indiana in the GLVC semifinals at 7:30 p.m. Friday.
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville (24-6 overall, 12-2 GLVC) wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the GLVC with a four-game win at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside on Saturday. The Cougars will meet seventh-seeded Lewis University in the first round Thursday afternoon.
The GLVC championship match is scheduled for 2 p.m. next Saturday. The GLVC Tournament winner will receive an automatic berth in the NCAA Division II Tournament.
NKU is currently tied for third in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region rankings. The top six teams in that poll will advance to the NCAA Tournament.
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Kristin Koralewski |