The Northern Kentucky University Norse volleyball team won a pair of road games on Friday and Saturday to improve to 7-11 overall and 5-2 in Horizon League play, good for third place overall in the conference.
NKU lost 3-0 (27-25, 25-15, 25-23) to Horizon League leader Wright State on Tuesday at Regents Hall.
“We just need to learn how to compete,” said Reilly Briggs, NKU senior hitter. “I feel like we decide when we want to show up and most of the time it’s at the end of the set when it’s already too late. We need an aggressive mindset and that has to start in practice for sure.”
Sophomore middle blocker Sequoia Hunt had a great game with a .588 hitting percentage recording 11 kills on 17 attempts for the Norse and junior middle blocker Allie Siefke had six blocks and four kills. Senior defensive specialist Anna Burke had 14 digs and two assists with junior setter Katy Yopko tallying 14 assists and nine digs.
Wright State had 35 kills and just 16 errors on 109 attempts for a .174 hitting percentage. The Raiders had 31 assists, five aces and six blocks. Wright State fifth-year setter Lainey Stephenson, a 2018 Notre Dame graduate, had 27 assists.
“I think we’re really good at the first contact,” Stephenson said. “We always win the serve and pass game. If you don’t win the serve and pass game in college, you’re not going to be successful. We’re trying to pick up the intensity on our serves so that our passing can be that much better. Then our offense has really started going this year.”
Wright State has a new head coach in Travers Green. The Raiders are 15-3 overall and 7-0 in Horizon League play. Green spent four seasons as an assistant at Mississippi State before coming to Wright State.
“It’s been a great transition,” Green said. “Obviously the team makes me look good so they’re just a really great group. They’ve just been so welcoming and open-minded into different things.”
NKU Head Coach Liz Hart said this is the first time the Norse faced Green. She said the focused their blocks on the pins. That opened things up for Hunt in the middle so the Norse hope for more balance going forward.
But the Norse came back to knock off the Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis Jaguars, 3-0 (25-21, 25-22, 25-11) on Friday. The Norse hit much better at .291 recording 48 kills minus 14 errors on 117 attempts to go with 46 assists, one ace and 10 blocks. The Jaguars had a .129 hitting percentage with 34 kills minus 19 errors on 116 attempts to go with 30 assists, seven aces and six blocks.
Briggs led the way with 19 kills on a .621 hitting percentage and two blocks. Yopko had 30 assists and four digs with Burke tallying 23 digs and two assists. Sophomore Joy Banks had eight kills and three blocks putting up a .304 hitting percentage.
The Norse then beat Purdue University at Fort Wayne on Saturday, 3-1 (25-23, 26-24, 16-25, 26-24). NKU had a .121 hitting percentage going for 54 kills minus 35 errors on 157 attempts to go with 48 assists, four aces and 12 blocks. The Mastodons had a .153 hitting percentage going for 49 kills minus 26 errors on 150 attempts to go with 44 assists, five aces and 14 blocks.
Briggs again led the Norse with 17 kills and five blocks on a .256 hitting percentage. Outside hitter Anna Brinkmann, a graduate student, had 10 kills, 14 digs and one ace. Yopko had 23 assists and 11 digs with Burke recording 12 digs and six assists.
The Norse play two home games over the weekend. They take on Robert Morris on Friday at 6 p.m. then Youngstown State on Saturday at 4 p.m.
Men’s Soccer
The Norse lost 3-2 at Ohio State on Wednesday, then 3-2 again at Detroit Mercy on Saturday in Horizon League play. They are 3-8-1 overall and 1-4 in Horizon League play.
Goalkeeper Daniel Bermingham, a graduate student, had eight saves.
Senior forward Sam Robinson had one goal on two shots on goal for NKU. Junior midfielder/forward Deryn Armstrong had three shots scoring a goal on his lone shot on target. Freshman forward Christian Sjolander added two assists.
Then the host Titans outshot the Norse, 22-20 including an 11-6 mark on goal. Bermingham had eight saves as Detroit led 3-2 at halftime.
Robinson had three shots and Armstrong had a goal on five shots with one on target. Defender Stian Jorgensen had the other goal on his lone shot on goal. Sjolander and senior midfielder Ryan Godding had one assist.
NKU plays two Horizon League games this week. The Norse go to Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. game then take on Cleveland State on Saturday at 7 p.m.
Women’s Soccer
The Norse fell to 1-8-2 overall and 1-4-1 in Horizon League play losing a pair of 1-0 decisions at Purdue-Fort Wayne on Thursday and to Youngstown State at home on Sunday.
Against PFW, junior midfielder/forward Sofia Wilmes had two shots on goal for the Norse with senior forward Shelby Wall, senior midfielder/defender Megan Sullivan and sophomore forward Maria Wiefering, a 2020 Highlands graduate, recording one each. Goalkeeper Mimi Stines, a graduate student, had five saves.
The Norse then outshot the YSU Penguins, 11-7 including 4-3 on goal, but could not score. But it marked the third straight game they had 10 or more shots. They also had four corner kicks to one for Youngstown State. NKU has only scored four goals all season. Stines and junior Mickayla Kowalski split the game at goalkeeper tallying one save each.
Sophomore midfielder Emma McSwigan had two shots on goal. Sophomore defender Lydia Self and Wilmes had one shot on goal each.
NKU plays two games this week. The Norse venture to Oakland University (Michigan) on Thursday for a 7 p.m. game and take on Milwaukee on Sunday at 1 p.m. at home.
Men’s Golf
The Norse finished fifth out of 14 teams in the Tom Tonimonia Invitational at the Lakewood Courtry Club in Westlake, Ohio on Tuesday.
Senior Miles Parroco finished in a tie for second with an overall two-day score of 213. He had an impressive average of 3.08 on Par 3 holes and 4.67 on Par 5 holes. He put up 11 one-under par birdies good for second in the tournament.
Sophomore Luke Muller, a 2021 Highlands graduate, put together another solid showing finishing in a tie for 20th with a 218 score. Muller led the Norse with 37 in the three rounds.
The Norse play in the Xavier Invitational in Maineville, Ohio on Monday and Tuesday. It takes place at the TPC River’s Bend.
Women’s Golf
The Norse took 10th out of 15 teams in the Butler University Fall Invitational on Tuesday from the Highland Golf and Country Club.
Sophomore Gracie Baun turned in a nice performance tying for 19th with a three-round personal best score of 233. She had four birdies to lead the Norse and put up a nice Par 3 average of 3.25.
Sophomore Reagan Nolan put up a career-best 74 score in the final round. She finished tied for 32nd overall scoring 236.
NKU wraps up the fall season at the Dayton Flyer Invitational on Oct. 17 and 18. The site is the NCR Country Club.
