HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - Northern Kentucky University’s Sara Taylor is No. 1 nationally in the latest NCAA Division II rankings with an average of 13.83 assists per game.
Taylor, a 5-foot-8 junior setter, collected 223 assists last week in five NKU victories to vault from No. 2 nationally to the top spot in the country. It marks the first time in history a Norse volleyball player has been ranked No. 1 nationally in assists.
A 2000 graduate of Assumption High School in Louisville, Ky., Taylor now ranks No. 5 all-time in NKU history with 2,418 career assists. She has led NKU (18-7 record) to 11 consecutive victories, and the Norse are seeking their sixth straight Great Lakes Valley Conference championship.
NKU will play road matches at Kentucky Wesleyan College (8 p.m. Friday) and the University of Southern Indiana (2 p.m. Saturday) this weekend. The Norse are attempting to earn the No. 1 seed in the upcoming GLVC Tournament, which will be held Nov. 14-16 on the campus of the No. 1 seed.
NCAA II assists leaders
1. Sara Taylor, Northern Kentucky - 13.83 apg
2. Liz Bishop, Western Washington - 13.61 apg
3. Devon Herron, Metro State - 13.38 apg
4. Valerie Martinez, North Florida - 13.35 apg
5. Linnea Kiilsgaard, Northern Colorado - 13.31 apg
Sara Taylor