Virginia volleyball rallies in fifth set to defeat NKU; Thomas More men’s soccer wins opener

NKyTribune staff

The University of Virginia volleyball team rallied from a 7-3 deficit in the fifth set to post a 15-13 win and defeat Northern Kentucky University on Friday at the Holiday Inn Express Invitational at DeKalb, Ill.

Virgina took the five-set marathon by scores of 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 16-25, 15-13. The Cavaliers improved to 1-4, while NKU dropped to 2-2.

NKU’s Haley Libs slammed down a match-high 23 kills and hit .345. The senior outside hitter also added eight digs and served up two aces. The Norse’s Miranda Wucherer just missed a double-double with 25 assists and nine digs, and she also finished with seven kills.

Ashton Terrill recorded her third consecutive 30-dig match with 31 digs, marking the first time in the Division I era that an NKU player has collected at least 30 digs in three straight matches.

Trailing 7-3 in the final set, Virgina ran off four straight points to even the score. The Cavaliers gained match point at 14-12, but Libs converted an attack to make it 14-13. Virginia’s Christine Jarman then ended the match with a kill.

NKU will close out the two-day event with matches against Nevada (noon) and host Northern Illinois (8 p.m.) on Saturday.

THOMAS MORE VOLLEYBALL OPENS WITH TWO WINS: The Thomas More College volleyball team won twice on Friday at the 40th annual Ohio Northern University Invitational in Ada, Ohio. The Saints defeated 19th-ranked Ohio Northern in five sets (23-25, 27-25, 20-25, 25-22, 15-8), and also knocked off Case Western Reserve in four sets (25-21, 25-20, 19-25, 25-18).

In the win over Ohio Northern, Thomas More junior middle hitter Jenna Mummert recorded a team-leading 29 kills and five service aces. Senior setter Jenna Fessler dished out 44 assists and added 11 digs for the Saints.

Mummert later collected 18 kills and added a team-high four blocks against Case Western Reserve, while Fessler recorded 38 assists and finished with three service aces.

SAINTS MEN’S SOCCER DEFEATS WILMINGTON: The Thomas More men’s soccer team opened the season Friday by defeating Wilmington College, 3-1, at BB&T Field in Crestview Hills. Junior forward Ethan Smith scored all three goals for Thomas More, which gave head coach Adam Jones his first collegiate victory in his debut with the Saints.

Smith snapped a 1-all tie in the 71st minute with a shot from 40-yards out to give the Saints a 2-1 lead. He later closed out the scoring in the 86th minute with an insurance goal to give the Saints a 3-1 advantage.

NKU WOMEN’S SOCCER WINS THRILLER: Kailey Ivins scored a goal at the 88:34 mark to snap a 2-all tie and give the NKU women’s soccer team a 3-2 win over Ohio University on Friday at Athens, Ohio. NKU improved to 3-2, while Ohio fell to 1-3-1.

Chloe Mills and Emily Soltes also added goals for NKU, which jumped out to a 2-0 lead before watching Ohio rally to even the match in the 79th minute. That set the stage for Ivins, whose winning goal in the 89th minute was assisted by both Samantha Duwel and Payton Naylor.

(Information compiled from NKU Athletics Communications, Thomas More College and staff reports)