Confident his five returning starters are up to the challenge, Northern Kentucky University Volleyball Head Coach Carlos Chia intentionally scheduled some tough teams to play against this season.

“We are playing a very difficult schedule, and it should help us when tournament time arrives,” Chia said in a release.

We want to be able to compete against the best teams, and this will give us an opportunity to see where we need to improve to get to that level.”

With veteran players such as junior Liz Holmes and sophomore Kristina Eisenmenger, recipient of the Great Lakes Region Freshman of the Year honor, Chia is sure the Norse can handle it. “There is going to be a lot of competition for playing time at several positions. We return some experienced players who need to step up and play consistently each match,” Chia said.

Chia places his confidence in his new recruits, as well. “It is almost as if they have a whole season under their belts already