Liz Holmes

JEFFERSON CITY, Tenn. - Liz Holmes hammered down a career-high 30 kills and added 17 digs Friday as the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team outlasted Palm Beach Atlantic, 30-24, 28-30, 22-30, 30-27, 21-19, at the Lady Eagle Classic.

Holmes, a sophomore middle hitter and a graduate of Mercy High School in Cincinnati, also added three service aces and a .365 hitting percentage as NKU survived four match points in the fifth game to rally for the victory. Holmes converted five kills in the fifth game, and the Norse took advantage of two attacking errors by Palm Beach Atlantic for the final points of the match.

Palm Beach Atlantic, which won the National Christian College Athletic Association national championship last season, dropped to 1-1. The Sailfish, who jumped out to a 2-1 lead after three games in the two-hour, 15-minute match with NKU, are dual members of the NCCAA and NCAA Division II.

Sophomore outside hitter Tristen Dye finished with 21 kills and 16 digs for NKU. Freshman right-side hitter Kristina Eisenmenger notched nine kills and five blocks for the Norse, while freshman setter Natalie Forbes added 33 assists, four kills, nine digs and three service aces.

Junior setter Andrea Lanham dished out 32 assists and had five kills for NKU. Sophomore libero Maria Tieman collected 19 digs and served up two aces, while senior middle hitter Lynne Fischesser added 13 digs and three blocks.

Jennifer Wirtz and Julie Lewis each finished with five kills for NKU, which later rallied to defeat Newberry (S.C.), 30-22, 27-30, 23-30, 30-17, 15-8. Holmes and Dye each recorded 23 kills to lead the Norse (6-1) to their fifth consecutive victory.

Eisenmenger added 15 kills - five in the fifth game - and a .448 hitting percentage. She also served up five aces and three blocks. Lanham finished with 39 assists, two service aces and two blocks for NKU.

The Norse will conclude the tournament Saturday with matches against Christian Brothers (9 a.m.) and host Carson-Newman (11:15 a.m.).