NKyTribune staff
They had already secured a spot in the NCAA Tournament, capturing the Horizon League championship a week earlier with an emphatic sweep over Milwaukee.
But the players and coaches at Northern Kentucky University didn’t know who the opposition would be in the first round of the NCAA Tournament until Sunday night, when the 64-team field was announced. After the bracket was revealed, NKU learned it will meet Michigan on Friday at 5 p.m. in Lexington.
The venue for the NKU/Michigan clash will be Memorial Coliseum on the University of Kentucky campus. Kentucky will face Southeast Missouri State in the other first-round match Friday at 7:30 p.m. The two winners will meet at 7 p.m. Saturday for a chance to move on to the Sweet 16 in Waco, Texas.
NKU captured its first-ever Horizon League Tournament championship with wins against Illinois-Chicago, top-seeded Wright State and Milwaukee. (Photo by Chloe Smith)
Michigan is 20-10 overall, and the Wolverines posted a 13-7 record in Big Ten play. Michigan is ranked No. 22 nationally in the AVCA Poll.
Kentucky is 23-6 and captured the Southeastern Conference championship with a 16-2 record. Southeast Missouri is 23-10 and earned an NCAA berth by winning the Ohio Valley Conference title.
NKU is led offensively by All-Horizon League first-teamer Anna Brinkmann (3.02 kills per set), Horizon League Tournament most valuable player Laura Crawford (2.77 kps) and Horizon League All-Freshman Team honoree Abby Kanakry (2.36 kps).
Kanakry and Norse setter Shelby Olsen (5.71 assists per set) both earned All-Horizon League Tournament honors, while teammate Ashton Terrill (4.94 digs per set) was named postseason honorable mention.
The first two rounds of the NCAA Tournament are held at 16 campus sites. At each campus site, four teams will compete in single-elimination competition. The winning team from each of the 16 sites advances to the regional round.
The regional tournaments will be held at four campus sites Dec. 13-14. The NCAA Final Four will be held in Pittsburgh with semifinals on Dec. 19, while the national champion will be crowned on Dec. 21.
NCAA Tournament
(at Lexington, Ky.)
Memorial Coliseum, first and second rounds
Friday, Dec. 6
NKU (19-12) vs. Michigan (20-10), 5 p.m.
Kentucky (23-6) vs. Southeast Missouri State (23-10), 7:30 p.m.
Saturday, Dec. 7
NKU/Michigan winner vs. Kentucky/Southeast Missouri State winner, 7 p.m.
CLICK HERE FOR 2019 NCAA TOURNAMENT BRACKET
(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications and staff reports)
