By Patrick Stumpf
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, Ky. (GreenBayPhoenix.com) – The Green Bay volleyball team ended its Halloween weekend road trip against Northern Kentucky on Saturday afternoon, falling in a five-set marathon (26-24, 24-26, 21-25, 25-20, 10-15) on Senior Day at Regents Hall. It marked the second time in as many meetings this season the Phoenix battled back-and-forth with the Norse before falling in the match's final set.
Green Bay jumped out to a pair of six-point leads early in the opening set, both at 13-7 and again at 15-9, before Northern Kentucky charged all the way back from down 24-17 to force extra time. It proved to be in vain, however, as the Phoenix staved off the rally to take the opening set by a score of 26-24. The Norse responded by winning each of the next two sets by close margins, duplicating the Green Bay score line in the second, 26-24, before pulling away in the third frame to take a two-sets-to-one lead, 25-21.
The Phoenix would persevere in the fourth set by holding Northern Kentucky to just a .104 hitting percentage (12-of-48) to knot the match at two sets apiece, 25-20, and after freshman outside hitter Jessica Wolf notched back-to-back kills to give Green Bay an 8-7 lead in the fifth frame, the Phoenix appeared poised for its fourth consecutive Horizon League road victory. But after the teams had seemingly traded points all day to get even at 10 all, the Norse used a late 5-0 run to end it.
Sophomore middle blocker Taylor Totka recorded a career-high 18 kills on a .342 hitting percentage to lead the Phoenix offensively, while Wolf (career-high-tying 16 kills) and senior setter Emily Riese (season-high 60 assists) were also major factors.
Northern Kentucky freshman Haley Libs and junior Taylor Snyder led all players with 23 kills and 63 assists, respectively.
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With her performance, Riese (3,028 assists) became just the 5th player in program history to amass 3,000 assists, joining Leslie Kuhn (2001-04), Betty Slinger (2004-07), Natalie Noonan (1997-00) and Tammy Wolff (1988-91) as the only members of the 3000-plus assist club.
Finally, after becoming just the fourth player in Green Bay program history to eclipse the 1,500-dig plateau last night, senior Jillian Bauer (1,538 digs) surpassed Sarah Rauen (1,519) for third-most all-time in school annals.
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Green Bay will return home tonight before gearing up for its final two matches at the Kress Center next weekend against Valparaiso and UIC. Friday night is "Parent Night,” as all parents of current players in attendance will be recognized before the start of the match. On Saturday, the four Phoenix seniors will be honored in a pre-match ceremony as part of “Senior Day.”
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