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HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - A junior setter made sure Senior Night was a smashing success for a pair of Northern Kentucky University upperclassmen who specialize in slamming the volleyball onto the opposition's side of the court. With Natalie Forbes setting up the offense Friday night, senior attackers Liz Holmes and Tristen Dye combined for 21 kills as NKU coasted to a 30-25, 30-22, 30-23 victory over Saint Joseph's in Regents Hall. Forbes, a junior from Highlands High School, dished out 39 assists and added 24 digs. She also collected five kills and hit .333 for the match. The 25th-ranked Norse hit .254 as a team and improved to 22-5 overall, 11-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. NKU also clinched a berth in the upcoming GLVC Tournament with the win. Holmes, who was named AVCA Division II National Player of the Week on Monday, hammered down 12 kills and attacked at a .348 clip. Dye collected nine kills, served up two aces and recorded 11 digs as NKU won its fifth consecutive match. Senior middle blocker Elizabeth Droessler added five kills and hit .500 for the Norse. Senior libero Brittany Dixon added 11 digs as NKU finished with a 72-52 edge in that category. Junior right-side hitter Kristina Eisenmenger added nine kills and four blocks. Freshman outside hitter Chelsea Clark served up three aces and had seven digs as NKU upped its lead in the all-time series with Saint Joseph’s to 33-5. NKU will get a chance at ending one of the nation’s longest NCAA Division II volleyball winning streaks Saturday when Indianapolis rolls into Regents Hall for a match at 3 p.m. The Greyhounds - who won at Bellarmine on Friday - enter Saturday's showdown with a 25-1 record and 22 consecutive victories. Indianapolis defeated NKU three times last year. The Greyhounds swept the season series and later eliminated the Norse from the GLVC Tournament. NKU owns a 34-8 lead in the all-time series. The Norse conclude their home schedule Sunday at 3:30 p.m. with a non-conference match against Mount St. Joseph.
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