Northern Kentucky volleyball seniors Keely Creamer and Lauren Hurley swept the Horizon League Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week honors, respectively, the League announced Monday.
With both the offensive and defensive award, NKU is the first team in 2016 to sweep weekly honors for volleyball. The last time the Norse had both Players of the Week was on Oct. 26, 2015, when Haley Libs was tabbed the Offensive Player of the Week while Mel Stewart garnered defensive honors.
“We are thrilled that we were able to sweep the Horizon League awards this week,” commented head coach Liz Hart. “Our team, with the help of Keely and Lo, has been playing very well. We need to keep our team’s intensity and focus up as we continue to battle in this tough League.”
The award is the first of Creamer’s career and the second of Hurley’s after being tabbed the Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12.
The duo led the Norse to a pair of sweeps over Horizon League foes Valparaiso and Wright State. With the two wins coupled with the sweep of Oakland on Oct. 1, NKU has swept three consecutive opponents for the first time since Aug. 30-Sept. 5, 2014. Additionally, it marks the first time that three straight conference opponents have been taken down in straight sets since NKU joined Division I in 2012, with the last time the feat was accomplished coming in the 2011 season when the Norse knocked off four straight Great Lakes Valley Conference teams.
Creamer had the most efficient offensive performance of a Norse in the Division I era against Valparaiso, hitting at a .750 clip off 19 kills to lead the team in breaking the D-I era record for single-match hitting percentage (.402). Her 19 kills also rank as the most in the D-I era for a three-set match. Her numbers continue to impressive when stacked up against NKU’s all-time performers, with the most kills in a three-set match since the 2011 season and the best single-match hitting percentage since 2008.
Creamer wrapped up the weekend with another strong performance in the sweep of Wright State. She posted 10 kills hitting .250 and added three block assists.
On Creamer’s performances, Hart noted, “Keely has done an excellent job of scoring for us. She has worked hard to get off the net and earn kills in transition as well as serve receive. She has continued to make smart decisions and adjustments to help her many kills per set.”
Hurley averaged 7.66 digs per set against Valpo and Wright State, marking the second time this year that she has racked up more than seven digs a set over a weekend. In the match versus the Crusaders, she improved on her best dig count in a three-set match by seven, with 23 digs in the sweep of Valpo.
She continued to be the top defender of the match against the Raiders, once again posting 23 digs in three sets. The redshirt-senior was also a leader in transition, with 11 assists between the two matches.
“Lo’s defense has been superb; averaging 7.6 digs per set is outstanding, all while maintaining her high serve receive passing and aggressive serving,” said Hart.
NKU will be back in action on Wednesday night when the Norse face Youngstown State at 6 p.m. ET.
From NKU Athletics