Saturday, November 20, 1999
Big weekend for NKU volleyball, soccer
BY NEIL SCHMIDT
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The NCAA volleyball tournament. A national quarterfinal women's soccer game. The tipoff of men's basketball season.
In Division II athletics this weekend, there's no hotter spot than Northern Kentucky University.
“It's just cooking over here; it's like sports-o-rama,” volleyball coach Mary Biermann said.
NKU's third-ranked volleyball team (30-1) plays host to the Great Lakes Regional portion of the NCAAs at Regents Hall. NKU is just two victories from a return trip to the Elite Eight.
The top-seeded Norse play fourth-seeded Ferris State (26-7) at 2p.m. today, preceded at noon by No.2 seed Northwood (26-7) vs. No.3 seed Northern Michigan (28-10). The winners play for the regional title at 2:30p.m. Sunday.
A rash of injuries has cut NKU's roster to nine players and limited star Jenni Long's duties. But standout performances from outside hitters Jenny Jeremiah (Seton) and Bethany Gastright (Holy Cross) and new setter Bobbi Casey (St.Henry) have kept the Norse sailing.
NKU has won 32 consecutive home matches.
Soccer is a Cinderella story. The third-year program, with just two classes of scholarship players, is 21-2 and ranked No.7 nationally. It plays host to Mercyhurst (Pa.) College in a national quarterfinal at noon Sunday at Town & Country Sports Complex.
The Norse have won all 11 home games this year. No.16 Mercyhurst (16-5) lost 3-0 in September.
NKU's star is sophomore Betsy Moore (McAuley), who has 21 goals and 10 assists.
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