The Valparaiso University volleyball team, still playing without a number of regulars up front, fell Friday night in Horizon League play, 3-0 (25-12, 25-22, 25-18), at Northern Kentucky as it continued a four-match stretch away from home.
How It Happened
- Northern Kentucky jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set and never looked back in claiming the opener.
- Trailing 17-13 past the midway point of the second set, the Crusaders scored five of the next six points to even the frame at 18-18. But after each team scored two points in a row, Northern Kentucky ended the set by scoring five of the last seven points to take the 2-0 lead.
- NKU led 10-3 early in the third set, and while the Crusaders tried to string together points, they were unable to get any closer than six points the rest of the way.
Inside the Match
- Sophomore Katherine Carlson (Lake Orion, Mich./Notre Dame Prep) tallied nine kills on .250 hitting to lead the Crusaders on Friday.
- Sophomore Lizzie Zaleski (Oak Lawn, Ill./Marist) handed out 20 assists.
- Senior Morganne Longoria (Burlington, Wis./Burlington) paced Valpo in the back row with 11 digs, while up front defensively, junior Taylor Graboski (Upper Sandusky, Ohio/Upper Sandusky) led the way with four blocks.
- Valpo was again without the services of Allison Ketcham, Jamie Lacheta, Kayla Currier and Tarrah Lasky due to injury. After having only played in one match since Sept. 9, senior Emily Campbell (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) played the final two sets on Friday.
Next Up
The Crusaders (8-12, 1-4 Horizon) close out weekend action Saturday afternoon at Wright State. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. CT, and the match can be seen live on ESPN3, WatchESPN and the ESPN app. Links for the live video, as well as live stats, will be available via ValpoAthletics.com.
