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

Lakeland Box Score
Edgewood Box Score

Oct. 29, 2011 - The North Central College volleyball team closed the home portion of its 2011 schedule in grand fashion on Saturday, recording two wins and seeing a school record broken in the Benedictine University Eagle Classic at Gregory Arena.

The Cardinals defeated Lakeland College (Wis.), 3-0, and Edgewood College (Wis.), 3-1, to improve to 18-16 overall and clinch a winning record for the season. Junior setter Ryan Lally, meanwhile, eclipsed the North Central career record for assists against Edgewood, now owning the mark with 3,522 assists in her three years with the Cardinals.

North Central got off to a slow start against Lakeland, trailing by a 5-1 count early in the first set. The Cardinals gradually began to move back into contention, and trailed, 9-7, before scoring seven straight points on the serve of Kedryn Orrison to take the lead for the first time at 14-9. The Cardinals stayed in front the rest of the way and scored the final three points to post a 25-17 win.

The hosts emerged late in the second set to claim victory yet again, as a 6-1 run extended a 13-12 lead to a 19-13 advantage and North Central scored four of the final five points in a 25-16 victory. A pair of extended scoring runs early in the third set yielded a 15-4 lead for the Cardinals, who held on to close out the match with a 25-14 win.

Orrison hit .533 with nine kills for the Cardinals, while Jenae Harner led the team in digs (11) and service aces (3) and Lally finished with 25 assists.

The first set against Edgewood was a back-and-forth affair until a 6-1 run extended the Cardinals' advantage from 12-10 to 18-11. North Central led by at least five points the rest of the way and won the opening frame, 25-17. The Cardinals led early in the second set before the Eagles (18-12) bounced back and took control. Edgewood put together a four-point run to take control at 22-17, and eventually claimed the second set, 25-21.

North Central gathered itself and responded at the beginning of the third set, scoring the first four points on Harner's serve and scoring seven straight on the serve of Joelle Lusson to pull ahead, 14-5. The Cardinals owned a 22-8 advantage when Edgewood staged a brief rally, but were still able to record a comfortable 25-15 victory.

The Eagles made their bid to even the match at two sets apiece, taking a 13-10 lead midway through the fourth set, but North Central pulled ahead with a 7-1 surge and never looked back, leading by as many as five points before closing the match out at 25-22 on Crystal Wright's kill.

Wright put up a match-high 15 kills, while Harner added 10 and Amber Ladwig totaled nine. Harner added three more service aces as well as three solo blocks, and Sarah Eggert led the Cardinals in digs (23). Lally finished with 37 assists, breaking the previous career record in the first set.

The Cardinals travel to Wheaton College on Tuesday for their play-in match for the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin Tournament. Action at King Arena is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m.