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QUINCY, Ill. - Kristina Eisenmenger and Liz Holmes put on a powerful attacking exhibition Saturday afternoon in the Pepsi Arena as Northern Kentucky University posted a 32-30, 30-18, 30-27 win over Quincy. Eisenmenger and Holmes each hammered down 18 kills and combined to attack at a .550 clip as the Norse finished their long, three-match road trip with an important victory. NKU, ranked No. 22 nationally in the NCAA Division II poll, improved to 19-5 overall, 8-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. The Norse need just one victory to clinch their 15th consecutive 20-win season. On Saturday, it was the 1-2 offensive punch of Eisenmenger and Holmes that helped deliver a win on the road. Eisenmenger hit .607 with just one error in 28 attempts, while Holmes attacked at a .500 clip - only two errors in 32 attempts - for the second straight match. The senior middle hitter now has 1,671 career kills and is 32 shy of breaking Bethany Gastright's all-time NKU record of 1,702. NKU rallied from an 11-2 deficit in the opening game to pull out a 32-30 win, and the Norse rode that momentum into a sweep. Holmes led the NKU comeback with eight kills and a .500 hitting percentage in the first game, including an attack that tied the score at 30-all. Tristen Dye followed with a kill to make it 31-30, and Natalie Forbes gave NKU the opening-game win by converting an attack. In the third game, NKU held off a late Quincy challenge for a 30-27 win. With the Norse holding a 28-27 lead, Holmes slammed down an attack. Chelsea Clark followed with a kill to give NKU the sweep. NKU hit .255 as a team and finished with a 77-73 edge in digs. Katie Latenser recorded 18 digs to lead the Norse defense, while Clark added 17, Brittany Dixon finished with 15 digs. Holmes added five blocks and eight digs for NKU, while Eisenmenger and Elizabeth Droessler each had four blocks. The Norse upped their lead in the all-time series with Quincy to 21-1. Kaylan Koepke led Quincy (14-9, 4-7 GLVC) with 21 kills and 15 digs. NKU returns home next week and will meet Rockhurst at 7 p.m. Thursday in Regents Hall. NKU also plays host to Drury at 7 p.m. Friday. |
