Haley Libs posted 12 kills and Kelly Turner added 10 for the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team in a 3-0 loss to Horizon League front runner Cleveland State on Tuesday night.
Libs added 11 digs for her eighth double-double of the season as the Norse fell to 13-14 overall and 8-7 in Horizon League play. Mel Stewart led the defensive effort with 14 digs, breaking a string of six consecutive matches with 20 or more digs.
Cleveland State improved to 23-5 overall and 12-2 in the Horizon League as the Vikings bid to host the upcoming Horizon League Championship. Alexis Middlebrooks led the way with 14 kills on a .458 hitting percentage and five blocks, while Rachel Stover went 9-for-10 on her attacks.
The Vikings struck out on a 5-0 run early in the opening set and never looked back, claiming a 25-17 win in the opener. In Set 2, the Norse stayed level to a 9-9 score before another 5-0 run by Cleveland State opened a gap that NKU could not close in a 25-19 setback.
Kills by Stover and Grace Kauth bookended a 3-0 run in Set 3 and gave Cleveland State all the edge they needed in Set 3, as the teams traded point-for-point to a 25-20 conclusion, giving the Vikings the straight-set victory.
NKU faces another test to close out the regular season on Saturday, heading on the road to take on Oakland. First serve is set for 4 p.m. with coverage on ESPN3. NKU then turns its attention to the Horizon League Championship, set to begin on Nov. 20.
NORSE NOTES
— Tuesday’s match snapped a string of three consecutive five-set matches for the Norse. NKU went 2-1 over the span, collecting wins over Green Bay and Youngstown State.
— The loss leveled both the season series with Cleveland State (1-1) and the all-time series against the Vikings (3-3). Cleveland State has won two of the three meetings between the teams since NKU reclassified to Division I in 2012.
From NKU Athletics