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Contact: Louis Groce, Graduate Assistant to the Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302

Box Score

(Oct. 8, 2013) – The North Central College volleyball team battled hard, but fell in straight sets (25-22, 25-21, 29-27) to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin rival Wheaton College on Tuesday evening. 

The first set saw the Cardinals (8-14, 1-2) go on 5-0 runs twice, but the Cardinals were unable to hold on to a late 18-16 lead.  Down 13-7, North Central took advantage of three Wheaton miscues and kills by Kedryn Orrison and Amy Hermle to cut the lead to 13-12.  After Wheaton extended its lead to 16-13, the home team again used a few errors by the Thunder attack with Amanda Walker and Bridget White providing kills to take an 18-16 lead. 

In the second set, North Central clung to a 13-12 lead, but Maddie McGinnis produced three kills and the visitors went on a 5-0 run to take a 17-13 advantage, a lead they never relinquished. 

The final set saw the Cardinals jump out to an early 4-0 lead, but Wheaton hung tough and eventually led 11-7, the largest lead of the set.  North Central came back to tie the score on five separate occasions before taking a short lived 24-23 lead.  Wheaton answered with two consecutive points, but the Cardinals refused to give in as Orrison tied the score at 25.  An attack error by Andy DeMoss made the score 26-25 in favor of North Central. 

The Thunder once again faced elimination and again scored twice to take the lead.  A bad set by DeMoss knotted the score at 27, but Wheaton managed to score the final two points courtesy of two Cardinal errors. 

Orrison led the Cardinals with nine kills, two service aces and added a team-high five blocks.  Laura Kluk posted a double-double with 27 assists and 14 digs, and Jessie Fiala added 12 digs. 

North Central hosts the Tiffany Robinson Memorial Tournament this Friday and Saturday at Gregory Arena.  The Cardinals first match is against the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 4:00 p.m.