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

AURORA, Ill. (Sept. 5, 2008) - The North Central College volleyball team battled valiantly to salvage a split of its first two matches in the Jim Coleman Memorial Tournament on Friday, bouncing back from a 3-1 loss to Webster University (Mo.) with a come-from-behind 3-2 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at Aurora University.

After a narrow 26-24 loss to Webster in the opening set, the Cardinals (5-1) evened the match with a 25-20 victory. The Gorloks, however, pulled back in front with a 25-17 third-set win and finished off the match by winning another nailbiter, 31-29.

Jessica Eggert (Sr., Woodridge, Ill./Downers Grove South) and Christy Hermann (Jr., Washington, Ill./Illinois Central College) were North Central's top attackers, each with 11 kills, while Crystal Wright (Fr., Lake Zurich, Ill./Lake Zurich) totaled nine. Stephanie Ryding (Jr., Naperville, Ill./Naperville Central) handed out 40 assists, while Anna Wirtz (So., Machesney Park, Ill./Harlem) led the way on defense with 24 digs.

Wright also tallied 12 digs and two service aces, with Eggert providing 10 digs and a solo block.

Wisconsin-Stevens Point jumped in front of the Cardinals early in the nightcap, taking the first two sets by scores of 25-19 and 25-13. North Central shifted gears and scored victories in the next two sets, 25-15 and 25-18, before edging out the Pointers, 18-16, in the decisive fifth frame.

Hermann notched a team-high eight kills for the Cardinals, who also got seven from Stacie Mokros (Jr., Lena, Ill./Lena-Winslow) and six apiece from Wright and Eggert. Wirtz turned in 25 digs and Ryding finished with 52 assists, 12 digs, and two service aces.

North Central wraps up its schedule at the tournament Saturday morning, playing Beloit College (Wis.) at 9 a.m. and St. Norbert College (Wis.) at 11 a.m.