NKyTribune staff
Sara Skeens collected 18 kills Friday night as host Cleveland State halted Northern Kentucky University’s winning streak at eight with a four-set triumph (25-22, 23-25, 25-17, 25-20) in a first-place volleyball showdown in Woodling Gymnasium.
NKU and Cleveland State entered the match tied for first place in the Horizon League with 2-0 records, but the Vikings limited the Norse to a .149 hitting percentage. With the match tied at a set apiece, Cleveland State (9-6 overall, 3-0 Horizon League) hit .275 in the third stanza to claim a 25-17 win. The Vikings also held NKU to a .071 attacking percentage in the third set.
Cleveland State completed the victory in the fourth set with a 25-20 triumph, pulling away from a 20-all tie with a 5-0 run to end the match. The Vikings attacked at a torrid .326 clip in the final set, while the Norse hit .245.
Haley Libs
NKU entered the match leading the nation in digs, but Cleveland State finished with a 110-101 edge in that category. Ashton Terrill notched 28 digs for NKU, and Laura Crawford added a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Trinniti Hall and Rachel Stover both slammed down 12 kills for Cleveland State, which is the defending Horizon League champion. Emily DeGeorge added 11 kills and a career-high 34 digs for the Vikings, who have defeated the Norse eight consecutive times during the past three seasons.
NKU’s last win against Cleveland State came on Oct. 13, 2015, when the Norse pulled out a five-set victory in Regents Hall.
NKU concludes the road trip Saturday with a 4 p.m. match at Oakland.
THOMAS MORE IMPROVES TO 14-1: Emily Mohs collected 13 kills as Thomas More swept past Buena Vista, 25-11, 25-8, 25-23, on Friday in the opening round of the Millikin Mid-Season Classic in Decatur, Illinois.
Madison Krumpelman added eight kills and eight digs for Thomas More, which is 14-1 and ranked 10th nationally in the NCAA Division III poll. Jessica Ginn led the defense with 18 digs, while setter Jenna Fessler directed the Saints offense and finished with 36 assists.
Thomas More will meet both Millikin and Hope (Mich.) on Saturday. Hope is ranked No. 12 in the NCAA Division III poll.
(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications, Thomas More and staff reports)
