Volleyball Eagles Fall in Five Sets to Northern Kentucky in Exhibition Tilt

Morehead, Ky. -- The Morehead State volleyball team battled through five sets but ultimately fell to Northern Kentucky 3-2 (25-18, 21-25, 20-25, 25-17, 11-15) Friday in the Academic-Athletic Center.
 
Senior Hollan Everett and freshman Ella Warrick paced the Morehead State attack with 13 kills apiece as Eagle head coach Kyrsten Becker-McBride utilized multiple rotations in the exhibition contest. 
 
Morehead State got off to a fast start in the opening set: Warrick led the Eagles with six kills and Everett added five. The Eagles posted a .270 attack percentage and were also stout at the net posting four blocks in the opening frame and holding the Norse to a .059 hitting percentage.
 
Northern Kentucky squared the match by taking the second set 25-21. The Norse scored first and never trailed in the frame; a pair of three-point runs midway through sealed the set.
 
The third set was closely contested with 14 ties and nine lead changes in the frame. A late five-point run gave NKU a 24-19 lead and the Norse took the lead by two sets to one.
 
The Eagles bounced back in the fourth set. With the score tied at 9-9, Senior Amelia Nott sparked a six-point run with two consecutive kills followed by a service ace and capped the run with a third kill of the rotation.
 
NKU scored first in the final set and never trailed posting a .278 hitting percentage while holding the Eagles to a .100 efficiency.
 
The NKU attack was led by Sydney Bray with 11 kills. Ivey Stocks added 10.
 
Morehead State will travel to Richmond Saturday to take on former Ohio Valley Conference foe Eastern Kentucky for its final exhibition contest before the beginning of the regular season in Knoxville, Tennessee next Friday.
 
NOTABLES
 

• Morehead State was stout at the net, posting 12 total team blocks and eight for NKU. Everett and Nott tied for match honors with five apiece. Sophomore Kylie Sharp added four total blocks including the Eagles' only block solo.
• MSU posted nine service aces while giving up seven to NKU. Nott registered three and freshman Anna Schiltz added two. Freshmen Josie Certa, Jasmine Daniels and Norah Campbell each had one.
• Senior Courtney Fitzgerald, playing in four sets, led the Eagles with 12 digs. Ella Warrick added 10 for a double-double.