Sunday, November 21, 1999
NKU advances in NCAA volleyball
Norse take on Northwood today for Elite 8 berth
BY RAY SCHAEFER
Enquirer contributor
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS — Junior middle hitter Jessica Buroker's 18 kills and junior setter Bobbi Casey's 52 assists helped the Northern Kentucky University volleyball team to a 13-15, 15-3, 15-9, 15-11 win over Ferris State in a Great Lakes Regional tournament semifinal match Saturday at Regents Hall.
The third-ranked Norse play Northwood (Mich.) for the title at 2:30 p.m. today. The Timberwolves (27-7) eliminated Northern Michigan 15-13, 15-8, 15-8 Saturday. The winner advances to the Elite Eight tournament this week in Battle Creek, Mich.
NKU (31-1) won its 24th straight match and 33rd in a row at Regents Hall.
NKU coach Mary Biermann doesn't want to hear about being a favorite to win the Division II national title, even though top-ranked Hawaii Pacific lost Friday to Cal State-Bakersfield.
“We're definitely one of the best,” Biermann said. “But we can't look past our nose.”
NKU is trying to reach the Elite Eight for the second consecutive year.
“I think we're more relaxed,” said Casey, a St. Henry graduate. “We're not overconfident, but I think we can pull it out.”
Ferris State rattled NKU in Saturday's first game. The Bulldogs jumped to a 5-1 lead.
NKU scored the next six points on senior Jenny Jeremiah's (Seton) serve, and sophomore Bethany Gastright's (Holy Cross) kills.
Ferris State (26-8) followed with a 9-2 run for a 14-10 lead. NKU scored three points on sophomore Julie Hathorn's (Mount Notre Dame).
The Norse were in an unfamiliar position. They had not lost the opening game of a match since their lone loss to Grand Valley State on Sept. 10.
“We typically start off slow,” Biermann said. “We have to figure out what the opponent is going to do.”
For game two, NKU returned to an old strategy — feed the ball to the middle hitters. Buroker had just two errors in 38 attempts for the match, and Gastright (Holy Cross) had 13 kills.
Biermann said Buroker's play has come in handy, since opponents double-block Gastright and Jeremiah, the Great Lakes Valley Conference Player of the Year.
“(Buroker) is one of the top Divi sion II hitters,” Biermann said.
Ferris State's defense was the problem the rest of the match. The Bulldogs blew a 7-3 lead in the third game and lost six of the last eight points in the fourth game.
“Our offense wasn't very good,” Ferris State coach Tia Brandel said. “Our passing was off, our timing was off, the whole system.”
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