HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. - The Northern Kentucky University volleyball team will open the 2003 season on Aug. 29 at the University of North Florida Labor Day Classic at Jacksonville, Fla.
NKU, which finished 22-10 last year, will meet perennial NCAA Division II power University of North Dakota in the first match on Aug. 29. Later that evening, the Norse will square off against another national power when they face the University of Tampa.
North Dakota finished with a 24-11 record last season and appeared in the NCAA Division II Tournament. Tampa posted a 28-7 record a year ago and advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four, where the Spartans dropped a 3-1 decision to eventual national champion Brigham Young University-Hawaii.
NKU will conclude the two-day tournament Aug. 30 with matches against host North Florida (29-6 record last season) and 2001 NCAA Division II national champion Barry (Fla.) University.
NKU returns all six starters this season, including senior first team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference setter Sara Taylor. A year ago, Taylor led the nation in assists (13.82 apg) to become the first NKU player in history to finish No. 1 nationally in that category.
Taylor earned first team All-Great Lakes Region honors a year ago, and she is expected to contend for All-America honors in 2003.
The Norse also welcome back first team All-GLVC right-side hitter Cammi Welter, who recorded 395 kills and 83 total blocks a year ago. Welter also earned first team All-Great Lakes Region honors last season.
Other returning starters include second team All-GLVC performers Nicole Salisbury (398 kills, 318 digs in 2002) and Maggie Pugh (296 kills, .342 hitting percentage). In addition, junior outside hitter Kristin Koralewski - who was named honorable mention All-Great Lakes Region by the AVCA last year - is back after finishing with 346 kills and a team-leading 46 service aces in 2002.
NKU will play host to three-time defending NCAA II Great Lakes Region champion Grand Valley State University at 7:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 in Regents Hall. Grand Valley State advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four last season and finished with a 32-3 record.
Defending Great Lakes Valley Conference champion University of Southern Indiana will visit Regents Hall on Nov. 7 to meet NKU. Southern Indiana halted NKU’s streak of five consecutive GLVC championships last season with a 3-0 victory over the Norse in the GLVC finals at Romeoville, Ill.
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Cammi Welter |