FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. (Sept. 16, 2008) -- The North Central College volleyball team opened College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play with a hard-fought victory on Tuesday, edging out the homestanding Augustana College Vikings, 3-2.

The teams alternated victories throughout the five-set match, as North Central (9-2, 1-0 CCIW) opened with a 25-22 win in the first set before the Vikings answered by taking the second, 25-14. The Cardinals posted a narrow 27-25 triumph in the third set, and Augustana (9-2, 0-1 CCIW) evened the score once again with a 25-22 win in the fourth. The visitors sealed the match by overtaking their counterparts, 15-12, in the fifth and deciding frame.

The Cardinals got a triple-double from Stephanie Ryding (Jr., Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central), who, in addition to her team-leading 50 assists, also turned in 26 digs and 10 kills. Ryding's most popular setting targets throughout the match were Jessica Eggert (Sr., Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove North) and Crystal Wright (Fr., Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich), who tallied 22 and 17 kills, respectively.

Jamie Drozd (Fr., Palos Park, Ill./Stagg) posted a team-best 27 digs, while Wright added 25 to go with three service aces and three block assists. Eggert add 17 digs and a solo block, while Christy Hermann (Jr., Washington, Ill./Illinois Central CC) contributed six block assists.

North Central travels to Greencastle, Ind., on Friday and Saturday for the DePauw University Tournament.