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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Liz Holmes is the new queen of the kill at Northern Kentucky University, and her official coronation took place Friday night in Regents Hall. Holmes became NKU's all-time career leaders in kills as the Norse posted a 30-26, 30-22, 29-31, 30-22 victory over Drury. The 5-foot-10 middle hitter finished with 27 kills and surpassed Bethany Gastright's NKU record of 1,702 in the third game when she converted an attack off an assist from Natalie Forbes. The match was stopped at that point with NKU holding a 10-5 lead, and Holmes received the ball from Gastright while receiving a standing ovation. The Cincinnati Mercy High School product now has 1,714 kills at NKU. Holmes attacked at a .512 clip for the match and added 16 digs as NKU improved to 21-5 overall, 10-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. Kristina Eisenmenger hammered down 25 kills for the Norse, who are ranked 25th nationally in the NCAA Division II poll. Tristen Dye finished with 22 kills, 17 digs and a .386 hitting percentage for NKU, which is ranked No. 4 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll. The Norse now hold a 3-1 edge in the all-time series with Drury. Natalie Forbes dished out a career-high 75 assists while directing the NKU offense to a .337 hitting percentage. The junior setter also added nine digs. Ashley Riessen had 13 kills for Drury, which is 12-9 overall, 6-6 in the GLVC. The Panthers, who rallied to win the third game, hit just .196 for the match. NKU held just a 12-11 lead in the third game, but the Norse used an 8-1 run to build a 20-12 advantage and coasted to the win. Eisenmenger keyed the spurt with three consecutive kills, and she also combined with Holmes for a pair of blocks during the run. NKU returns to action next Friday night when Saint Joseph's visits Regents Hall at 7 p.m. for Senior Night. The Norse's four seniors - Holmes, Dye, Elizabeth Droessler and Brittany Dixon - will be recognized prior to that match in Senior Night festivities. The following day, Indianapolis visits Regents Hall for a 3 p.m. match. The Greyhounds are currently No. 1 in the NCAA Division II Great Lakes Region poll. NKU concludes its home schedule Oct. 21 with a non-conference match against the College of Mount St. Joseph at 3:30 p.m.
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