Sept. 6, 2000
NKU PREPARES FOR SHOWDOWN WITH GLIAC
No. 3 Norse (5-0) to face GLIAC’s top three teams this weekend
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team, now 5-0 and ranked No. 3 nationally in the Division II poll, will travel to Midland, Mich., this Friday and Saturday to play the top three teams in the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.
NKU will meet unbeaten (8-0) and 21st-ranked Grand Valley State at 7 p.m. on Friday, and the Norse will play both 12th-ranked Northwood (5-2) and unbeaten Ferris State (8-0) on Saturday afternoon. Northwood beat defending NCAA Division II national champion Brigham Young University-Hawaii twice last week in Hawaii.
The three matches this weekend will be important for the Great Lakes Region rankings. NKU, a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference, is the two-time defending champion of the NCAA II Great Lakes Region. Grand Valley State, Northwood and Ferris State are also in the NCAA II Great Lakes Region.
A YEAR AGO: NKU suffered just one loss in the regular season last year, and that was on Sept. 10 in Fort Wayne, Ind., against Grand Valley State. The Lakers defeated NKU, 15-13, 15-8, 10-15, 15-13. NKU entered that match with a 7-0 record. The Norse's only other loss came during the NCAA II Final Four against eventual national champion BYU-Hawaii in Battle Creek, Mich.
GASTRIGHT EARNS HONOR: NKU’s Bethany Gastright has been named Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Week. Gastright, a 5-foot-11 junior outside hitter, had 86 kills this past weekend to lead the unbeaten Norse (5-0) to wins over Northern Michigan, Cal State-San Bernardino and Lock Haven (Pa.) at the Ramada Inn Invitational at Marquette, Mich. Gastright tied a Vandament Arena record Friday night with 33 kills (.414 hitting percentage) during a victory over Northern Michigan.
Gastright added 30 kills in a victory over previously unbeaten Cal State-San Bernardino on Saturday, and she finished the two-day tournament by picking up 23 kills (.397 hitting percentage) in a win against Lock Haven.
NKU senior middle hitter Jessica Buroker also earned All-Tournament honors at the Ramada Inn Invitational. Buroker had 23 kills and a .442 hitting percentage against Northern Michigan.
NORSE NOTES: NKU freshman setter Sara Taylor had five service aces against Cal State-San Bernardino on Saturday...junior outside hitter Amy Ryan recorded seven kills and a .438 hitting percentage against Northern Michigan on Friday.