FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
GREENCASTLE, Ind. (Sept. 20, 2008) -- The North Central College volleyball team endured a tough weekend at the DePauw University Invitational on Friday and Saturday, posting a 1-3 finish to place seventh in the eight-team field.
The Cardinals (10-5) opened play with a 3-2 loss to Anderson University (Ind.) on Friday, before a 3-1 loss to St. Mary's College (Ind.) later in the day. On Saturday, the host Tigers defeated North Central, 3-0, before the Cards rebounded to finish the tournament with a 3-1 win over Franklin College (Ind.)
North Central jumped ahead of Anderson by winning the first two sets, 26-24 and 25-17, but the Ravens stormed back to sweep the final three, 27-25, 25-23, and 15-13. Stacie Mokros (Jr., Lena, Ill./Lena-Winslow) led a balanced Cardinal attacking effort with 15 kills, while Jessica Eggert (Sr., Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove North) and Amy Bruns (Jr., Addison, Ill./Addison Trail) each totaled 11. Eggert also turned in a team-high 23 digs, while Bruns led North Central with five block assists and Christy Hermann (Jr., Washington, Ill./Illinois Central CC) tallied two solo blocks. Jamie Drozd (Fr., Palos Park, Ill./Stagg) put up 22 digs and Stephanie Ryding (Jr., Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) posted 18 along with 51 assists.
St. Mary's won its first set against the Cardinals, 25-14, though North Central evened the match at 1-1 with a 25-20 victory in the second. The Belles pulled away for the win with 25-21 and 25-15 victories in the third and fourth sessions. Eggert once again led the team with 10 kills, Bruns posted two solo blocks, and Alyssa Lantz (Fr., Rockford, Ill./Rockford East) put up 23 assists.
DePauw came out strong in Saturday's first match, opening with a 25-12 first-set victory over the Cardinals and continuing on to take the next two, 25-16 and 25-18. Eggert put up six kills for North Central, which also got three service aces and 16 digs from Ryding and 13 assists from Lantz.
The Cardinals split the first two sets against Franklin, winning, 25-21, and then losing by the same score. North Central put the Grizzlies away with 25-16 and 25-22 wins in the final two frames of the weekend. Eggert tallied 16 kills, while Shanna Loos (So., Sterling, Ill./Sterling) put up 14 to go with three service aces. Lantz finished with 44 assists, Ryding piled up 32 digs, and Hermann totaled a solo block and two block assists.
North Central returns to action Tuesday, hosting Carthage College (Wis.) in the Cardinals' first home match of the season. Play at Merner Fieldhouse is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.
