NKU women’s basketball and Head Coach Camryn Volz are looking to keep turning the ship around on their dwindling season.
“New” has been the word of the season, with a largely new roster and all new assistant coaches.
The Norse currently sit at 6-15 overall, however four of their wins have come within the last three weeks. For the first time this season, they won two games in a row with the last two home match-ups. After knocking off Horizon League rival Oakland during homecoming weekend in a high-scoring 90-82 win, the ladies hope to bring the same momentum on the road against Green Bay Thursday night.
“We got the win and just finally a little bit of momentum as we go into the toughest road game of the year,” Coach Volz said at Friday night’s post-game presser. When the Norse played Green Bay earlier in the season, they took a tough 86-56 loss.
The mid-season was a rough go for the team, losing seven straight games from mid-December to mid-January. In the Horizon League, the team suffered losses of nearly 10 points or more in the first six league games. Injuries plagued the team, hitting a low point in December when only seven players were healthy to play against league opponent Cleveland State.
Current Horizon League polls rank the Norse ninth out of 11 teams. Their upcoming opponent, University of Wisconsin Green Bay, sits pretty at number two. The Norse began the preseason with a rank of fifth in the polls.
The women’s team is fairly young this season, with one-third of the roster represented by freshmen. Mount Sterling native Kennedy Igo is the only senior, but the guard is supported by six junior teammates.
Seven of the 12 players are new to NKU this year, with new transfers from schools like Western and Eastern Kentucky University.
All three assistant coaches are also new to the squad this season. Assistant Coach Doug Novak came to the team with over 30 years of experience. He also brought a new idea for offense, what Volz refers to as, “four-out, one in motion offense.”
Junior transfer from Western Kentucky Macey Blevins has been a key leader for the team. Blevins put up a career-high of 30 points in the recent win against Oakland. This marked only the fourth time a Norse has scored 30 or more against a Division I opponent since NKU Athletics transitioned to Division I in 2012.
6’1” freshman Carter McCray has taken on a big role for the women as well, earning 10 double-doubles so far this season. McCray leads the team in rebounds, bringing down 12 during Friday’s game.
The team will have to keep working hard and continue bringing strong intensity from the bench to end the season on a higher note. Last season, the Norse finished with a winning 17-14 overall record, and wound up in the Horizon League semi-finals, where they fell to Cleveland State.
Confidence is what the head coach wants to see more of from the young team as they head into Thursday night’s game.
“We could beat any team on our schedule if we play the way we’ve been playing, we continue to work hard and buy into the game plans,” Volz said.
NKU women’s basketball will take on Horizon League opponent Green Bay Thursday, Feb. 8 at 8 p.m. on the road.