NKyTribune staff
FAIRBORN, Ohio — One winning streak was certain to end Friday night when Wright State played host to Northern Kentucky in a Horizon League volleyball showdown with a share of first place at stake.
Wright State fought off two match points in the fourth set and used its home advantage in McLin Gymnasium to rally for a 21-25, 20-25, 25-22, 27-25, 15-11 win over NKU. The Raiders extended their winning streak to 14 and improved to 14-1 overall, 3-0 in the Horizon League.
Megan Alders finished with 14 kills and hit .293 for Wright State, whose only blemish is a season-opening loss to Bowling Green. The Raiders remained tied for first place with Milwaukee — which defeated Cleveland State on Friday night to move to 3-0 in Horizon League play. Milwaukee has won 13 consecutive matches and is 16-1 overall.
NKU’s Ashton Terrill scooped up 34 digs and served two aces against Wright State on Friday night. (Photo by Jeff McCurry)
Laura Crawford slammed down a career-high 21 kills for NKU, which entered Friday having won four straight matches. The Norse (9-6 overall, 2-1 Horizon League) hit .200 as a team, while Wright State attacked at a .233 clip.
Up 2-1 in sets, NKU rallied from a 23-17 deficit in the fourth frame with a 7-0 run to hold match point at 24-23. Wright State countered with a kill to tie the score at 24-all, but Crawford responded by terminating a ball to give NKU another match point at 25-24.
Wright State closed the set with a 3-0 run to take a 27-25 win, and the Raiders prevailed in a closely contested fifth set, scoring the final four points for a 15-11 victory.
Anna Brinkmann finished with 12 kills and 21 digs for NKU, while teammate Natalie Hardig added 11 kills with a .429 hitting percentage. Miranda Wucherer distributed 30 assists and had 18 digs, while Shelby Olsen dished out 31 assists and chipped in 11 digs.
Ashton Terrill scooped up a career-best 34 digs and served two aces for NKU, which holds a 21-14 lead in the all-time series with Wright State. The Norse defeated the Raiders twice in three meetings last season, including a victory during the Horizon League Tournament.
NKU plays host to IUPUI at 2 p.m. Sunday in Regents Hall. IUPUI is 2-0 in the Horizon League, and the Jaguars are 6-9 overall. The Norse own a 5-2 lead in the all-time series against the Jaguars.
(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications, Wright State and staff reports)
