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| Ashlyn Balensiefer |
The Lady Miner volleyball team battled 22nd-ranked Northern Kentucky all the way to the last point Friday night, but the Norse came away with a 3-0 Great Lakes Valley Conference win at the Bullman Multi-Purpose Building.
After the Norse took the first game by a 30-12 count, UMR battled on even terms with them over the next two games before falling by scores of 30-24 and 30-28.
The Lady Miners were within three points on two occasions in the second game, closing to 14-11 on a block by Katie Herington and Maddie Owak and again at 15-12 on a solo block by Owak. Later in the game, a service ace by Bridget Williams drew UMR to within three again at 26-23, but the Norse scored four of the next five points to win the game.
After the break, UMR got off to a fast start in the third game by taking an early 7-2 lead on a block by Leandra Pelae. UMR remained in front for the first half of the match before a 9-0 run by NKU gave it the lead for good.
The Lady Miners closed a seven-point deficit down to one at 28-27 on an ace by Hope Mooberry, then got to within one again at 29-28 on a kill by Pelae before the Norse won the match on the next point.
Pelae led UMR with 14 kills on the night while Mooberry, Ashlyn Balensiefer and Samantha Klump had four kills apiece. Balensiefer also had 24 assists while Annie Smith had a team-high nine digs. UMR also finished the match with 10 blocks, with Owak posting two solo and three assisted blocks and Herington having a hand in four blocks.
The Lady Miners will host No. 20-ranked Indianapolis Saturday at 3 p.m. to wrap up their three-game homestand.
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