Northern Kentucky University Women's Volleyball

Liz Hart enters her 16th season at the helm of the Norse volleyball program in 2025. Since the program’s move to Division I, Hart has orchestrated one of the most successful starts for a transitioning team in NCAA history with a 25-7 mark in 2012, the best record for a reclassifying school in NCAA history. Hart has continued to build on the success of her programs with increasingly strong recruiting class, earning PrepVolleyball.com High Honorable Mention in 2017 and Highest Honorable Mention in 2018, the latter of which put the Norse in the top-55 recruiting classes nationally. Through the 2020 season, which was played in the Spring 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Hart has led her Norse squads to seven-straight league tournament semifinal appearances, including the final season in the A-SUN and all six in the Horizon League. NKU is the only Horizon League school to reach the seminals in those six seasons. In addition to on-court success, the Norse have been successful academically, posting the second-highest GPA of any team on campus in the Spring 2024 semester (3.67).  Northern Kentucky posted another stellar season under Hart in 2023, finishing 18-13 overall with a 12-6 record in regular season conference matches. The Norse swept Oakland in the Horizon League quarterfinal, but ultimately fell in 5 sets to 2-seeded Green Bay in the Horizon League semis. NKU played a tough non-conference schedule, taking on #14 Ohio State, #3 Louisville, Missouri, South Dakota, Xavier, and Kennesaw State. Also in non-conference action, the Norse swept Morehead State's Comfort Inn-Vitational, defeating Butler, the hosting Eagles, and Indiana State. 4 of Hart's student-athletes were named All-Horizon League, with Joy Banks and Abby Kanakry being named First Team, Anna Burke Second Team, and Ava Hoying to the All-Freshman Team. In addition to this, Burke was named to the Horizon League's All-Academic Team.  NKU continued their success under Hart in 2022 as well, advancing to their fourth Horizon League Championship game in five seasons. The Norse saw a loaded non-conference schedule facing opponents such as No. 4 ranked Louisville, Missouri, South Dakota, Bowling Green, No. 21 Western Kentucky twice, Ball State and No. 10 ranked Purdue. NKU swept through Green Bay in the opening round of the conference tournament but ultimately fell to arch rival Wright State in the finals in Dayton, Ohio. Northern Kentucky saw four student-athletes recognized at the end of the season for their high level of play which included Abby Kanakry, Reilly Briggs and Anna Burke receiving All-Horizon League First Team nods. Anna Brinkmann also earned an All-League Second Team selection as well. The Norse as a squad were honored with the 2022 United States Marine Corp/American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award after posting a 3.58 grade point average during the 2021-22 academic year. This is now over 10 years that Northern Kentucky Volleyball as a squad have finished the academic year with a team GPA of 3.5 or better.  The 2021 season featured yet another trip to the Horizon League Championship game after posting 20 overall wins during the regular season. NKU ultimately fell to No. 4 seeded UIC in the conference finals in a five-set thriller. The Norse racked up the post-season accolades beginning with Hart being named the 2021 Horizon League Coach of the Year. Anna Brinkmann, Reilly Briggs and Abby Kanakry were all selected to the All-Horizon League First Team, while Joy Banks and Sequoia Hunt earned All-Horizon League Freshman Team honors. Brinkmann additionally was named to the AVCA Northeast All-Region Honorable Mention Team In 2019, Hart led the Norse to their first-ever NCAA Tournament, making volleyball just the third program to appear in the NCAA Tournament since NKU's transition to Division I. The Norse rolled through the Horizon League tournament, dropping just one set in three matches with wins over No. 5 UIC, No. 1 Wright State and No. 3 Milwaukee. Laura Crawford was named the Tournament MVP, while Shelby Olsen and Abby Kanakry earned all-tournament team honors. NKU went on to face Michigan in the first round in Lexington, Kentucky, falling in three sets to the Wolverines with two of the three being dropped by just three points. Following the regular season, Anna Brinkmann was named to the All-Horizon League First Team, and later earned AVCA All-Northeast Region honorable mention. Ashton Terrill was named to the all-league second team, while Kanakry and Reilly Briggs were named to the all-freshman team. Miranda Wucherer also earned postseason honors with a spot on the Horizon League All-Academic Team. Northern Kentucky  finished the season with an RPI of 49. The Norse had a landmark season in 2018, advancing to the championship game of the Horizon League Tournament. NKU then received a bid to the NIVC to continue postseason play. Overall, the Norse went 21-10 and Haley Libs wrapped up a storied career that included four All-Horizon League nods, three all-academic honors, a finalist position for the Senior CLASS Award and AVCA All-Northeast Region Honorable Mention. NKU was the statistical champion with 19.83 digs per set, led by All-Horizon League First Team honoree Ashton Terrill's 5.56 digs per set. Western earned All-Horizon League honorable mention, while the freshman class raked in plenty of honors as Anna Brinkmann and Miranda Wucherer were named to the HL All-Freshman Team and Natalie Hardig earned all-tournament honors. Libs repeated as an All-Horizon League First Team member in 2017, with Bailey Western landing on the All-Freshman Team. The Norse also shone academically, with Libs and McKenzie Eskridge both earning CoSIDA Academic All-Region distinction. NKU continued to pick up All-League accolades in 2016, with Keely Creamer, Haley Libs and Taylor Snyder all landing on the Horizon League First Team while Laura Crawford earned All-Freshman Team honors. The Norse had tied their best Division I finish, going 11-5 to finish third in the Horizon League. The 2015 saw another landmark, as the Norse were honored with the first conference individual honor of the Division I era when Haley Libs was named the Horizon League Freshman of the Year. After moving from the A-Sun to the Horizon League, the Norse went 14-16 on the season, including 8-8 in League play. 2014 marked the first year that the Norse competed in a conference tournament, advancing to the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Championship.  NKU finished with a 19-11 overall record and went 7-7 in the A-Sun, while three Norse were named All-A-Sun performers. Jenna Ruble was named to the A-Sun First Team, and both Taylor Snyder and Keely Creamer picked up second-team honors. In 2013, NKU picked up marquee wins against Syracuse, Cincinnati and Navy before the team found itself eligible for conference postseason play in 2014. The Norse advanced to the semifinals of the Atlantic Sun Conference Championship and finished the season ranked No. 110 in the RPI among 334 Division I institutions.  “We use the competitive cauldron to increase competition level amongst the players and get them competing at their highest level every practice,” says Hart. The cauldron ranks each player on a variety of axes each practice, forcing each player to be at her best every moment in practice and on the game court.  The expectation of excellence continues not only on the court, but off as well. NKU’s volleyball teams have maintained above a 3.50 grade point average over the last four years and have earned the AVCA’s Team Academic Award in three recent seasons.  Hart’s players log numerous community service hours, aiding local elementary schools and retirement homes, as well as the Henry Hosea House and Matthew 25. In addition, Norse volleyball players represent the program and the university on leadership boards of university, local, conference, regional and national scope.  “We want our players to graduate and leave our program with self-confidence and have the leadership skills to tackle the next part of their lives,” added Hart. “We’re bringing in student-athletes who are driven, believe in our vision and will help to build on the success of our alumnae.” Hart herself is one of those alumnae, having spent her playing career representing the Black and Gold. During her playing career, Hart was named the Great Lakes Valley Conference Freshman of the Year in 2004, and in 2008 was named an NCAA Top 30 Woman of the Year recipient as well as the GLVC Player of the Year, Great Lakes Region Player of the Year, GLVC Scholar-Athlete of the Year and a First Team All-America selection from the AVCA. In addition, Hart was twice named an honorable mention All-American during her sophomore and junior years.  She stands as NKU’s all-time kills leader with 1,850, ranks seventh at NKU with 1,191 career digs and second in block assists with 291.  Hart resides in Fort Mitchell, Ky. with her husband, A.J., and their sons, James and Thomas, and daughter, Ellie.   Head Coaching Timeline Year School Position Record Conference Finish Postseason   2024   Northern Kentucky Head Coach 11-18 7-11 7th - 2023 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 18-13 12-6 4th - 2022 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 18-13 15-3 2nd - 2021 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 20-8 15-2 2nd - 2020 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 9-5 8-4 3rd - 2019 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 19-13 9-7 4th NCAA First Round 2018 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 21-10 11-5 T-2nd NIVC First Round 2017 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 12-15 7-9 6th - 2016 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 18-11 11-5 3rd - 2015 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 14-16 8-8 4th - 2014 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 19-11 7-7 T-3rd - 2013 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 12-19 7-11 7th - 2012 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 25-7 12-6 3rd - 2011 Northern Kentucky Head Coach 26-6 14-4 T-3rd NCAA Midwest Regional 2010 Northern Kentucky Head Coach (Interim) 14-8 10-4 T-3rd - Total (15 Years) 256-173 (.597) 153-92 (.624)

In a hire that will go down in school history, Northern Kentucky University and Vice President and Athletics Director Christina Roybal has announced the hiring of Kevin Woodhull-Smith as the first men's and women's swimming head coach in program history in April 2024. "I am very excited to be named the first head swim Coach at NKU," Woodhull-Smith said. "Adding a NCAA Division I men's and women's swim team is an amazing thing for college swimming. I want to thank Vice President and Director of Athletics Christina for this great opportunity to lead the new swim team at NKU."   "We are excited to introduce Kevin as the first head men's and women's swimming coach at NKU," Roybal said. "He has a proven track record of recruiting student-athletes and focusing on building confidence during training and the mental preparation to develop successful swimmers."   "Also thank you to Chris Hafling and the entire committee for their work during the hiring process," Woodhull-Smith added. "A huge thank you to my wife Britney and our family for their support. Thank you to all the coaches and swimmers that I have worked with over the years that helped me get to this point in my career. I'm looking forward to building a great program at NKU. Norse Up!"   Prior to joining the Norse, Woodhull-Smith was the head men's and women's swimming coach at Barton College in Wilson, North Carolina for three years. While with the program, he was named the Conference Carolinas Coach of the Year three times (both the men's and women's coach of the year in 2022 and the women's coach of the year in 2021). To go with the individual accolades, Woodhull-Smith led his teams to one conference championship (women's conference title in 2021), three runner-up performances and two third place showings. His squads never finished lower than third at the conference championship meet.   Woodhull-Smith's student-athletes broke over 25 varsity records and posted over 100 all-time top-8 performances. He also had a NCAA Division II National Championship qualifier in the women's 50 free in 2022. To go with his standout work with his squad in the pool, the teams were just as successful out of it as a mainstay on the CSCAA Scholar All-America awards for excellence in the classroom.   Before his time with the Bulldogs, Woodhull-Smith served as an assistant swim coach at East Carolina University for eight years. He led the Pirates men's team to four American Athletic Conference Championships in 2015, 2016, 2017 and 2020 to go along with eight league individual championships in a total of 22 events. Woodhull-Smith also coached 28 student-athletes to All-AAC honors. In addition, five of his student-athletes qualified for the NCAA Division I National Championship.   He also has experience as a swim coach at the Greensboro Community YMCA and the Enfinity Aquatic Club, as an assistant coach at East Carolina Aquatics and as a graduate assistant at North Carolina State University.   Woodhull-Smith earned his bachelor's degree from North Carolina State in 2010 and followed it up with a master's degree from the institution in 2012. He lettered for four seasons on the nationally ranked Wolfpack squad and qualified for the Olympic Trials in the 200-meter individual medley in June 2008.

Jake Neiheisel joined Northern Kentucky Volleyball in July of 2023 as an assistant coach to accompany to head coach Liz Hart's staff. In two seasons with the Norse, NKU has totaled a recored of 29-31 (19-17), including a fourth-place Horizon League finish in 2023.    Neiheisel comes to Highland Heights after spending the past four seasons as the head men's volleyball coach at Mount St. Joseph University. He was named the 2021 Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) Coach of the Year after leading the Lions to a 21-3 overall record and a 14-2 record in MCVL play. Jake had a stellar playing career for the Lions as well, and has also coached club volleyball in the Cincinnati area. Jake is a 2016 graduate of Mount St. Joseph University where he earned his bachelor's degree in sport management. During his playing career for the Loins, Jake was a leader on and off the court for the Lions. He was named a captain during his senior season, "Jake may have been the most intelligent player I have ever coached" Said former MSJ men's volleyball coach Ryan Lengerich. Jake came to the Mount as a coach with quite a bit of coaching experience. On top of his work with the Cincinnati Attack men's volleyball club program beginning in 2010, he spent time as an assistant coach at Oak Hills High School. He was an assistant coach at his Alma Mater, Elder High School in Cincinnati and also spent time as the assistant coach at Mount St. Joseph.   

Northern Kentucky head swim coach Kevin Woodhull-Smith has announced the hiring of the program’s first ever assistant coach, as Tatum Detwiler has joined the Norse swimming program.  Detwiler, a Pennsylvania native, was a decorated student-athlete at a pair of Power 4 schools during her time as a student-athlete, and has over nine years of teaching/coaching experience.  Detwiler began her collegiate career at the University of Pittsburgh, where she swam for the Panthers for four years and earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a focus in Human Resources Management. In the pool, Detwiler competed in the ACC Championships in each of her four years at Pitt.  She helped set records in both the 200 & 400 yard medley relay, swimming the breaststroke leg of the race, and was a record setter in the 200 yard freestyle relay as well.  While at Pittsburgh, she served on the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (SAAC), serving as co-chair of the events committee in 2022 & 2023, and was crucial in planning and organizing the Panther Choice Awards.  For her final season at the collegiate level, Detwiler swam for the Tigers of Louisiana State University (LSU), where she participated in the SEC Championships. She competed in both the 100 & 200 yard breaststroke, the 50 yard freestyle, and the 200 yard medley relay.  Throughout both high school and college, Detwiler was a volunteer at the Connellsville Aqua Club and Belle Vernon Aqua Club in her hometown, teaching swimmers of varying ages and levels of proper technique and safety protocols.  She was also a volunteer for the Special Olympics Swimming Competition at the University of Pittsburgh, where she assisted in managing events.