JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - The good news for Northern Kentucky University is that no volleyball team in the nation has played a tougher schedule than the Norse to begin the 2003 season.
The bad news is the Norse stand 0-4 after going winless at the University of North Florida Labor Day Classic this weekend.
NKU lost to a pair of nationally ranked opponents Saturday, dropping a 30-25, 30-20, 30-19 decision to 20th-ranked North Florida in the first match. The Norse later met No. 8 Barry (Fla.) University and lost a tough contest by scores of 36-34, 30-27, 31-29.
In the opener Saturday, North Florida’s Jackie Struck converted 15 of 21 attack attempts with no errors for a .714 hitting percentage. Struck also had four service aces and four blocks as the Ospreys defeated NKU in three games.
Cammi Welter led NKU with 11 kills, and teammate Kristin Koralewski added nine kills, a .421 hitting percentage, four service aces and 11 digs. North Florida hit .373 for the match and collected 15 blocks, while NKU was unable to record a block against the Ospreys.
NKU - which lost to both the University of North Dakota and No. 2 University of Tampa on Friday - hung in against Barry the entire match Saturday, but the Buccaneers pulled out the close victory. Koralewski led the Norse with 16 kills and a .452 hitting percentage, and Welter finished with 14 kills.
Freshman setter Andrea Lanham had 40 assists and seven digs for NKU, and Nicole Salisbury added 11 kills for the Norse. NKU had more kills (55 to 48) and a better hitting percentage (.262 compared to .236) than Barry, but 16 service errors by the Norse helped the Buccaneers escape with the narrow victory.
NKU will travel to Findlay, Ohio, Sept. 5-6 to meet four teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. NKU plays Northwood (Mich.) University at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 5, followed by a match against the University of Findlay at 7:30 p.m.
The next day, the Norse will meet Lake Superior State University (3 p.m.) and Hillsdale (Mich.) College (5:30 p.m.).
NKU will play its home opener Sept. 10, when Bellarmine University visits Regents Hall at 7 p.m. in the GLVC opener.
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Kristin Koralewski |