Women's Volleyball | 10/11/2014 4:24:00 PM

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

Wartburg Box Score

North Park Box Score

Oct. 11, 2014 – The North Central College women's volleyball team closed out play at the annual Tiffany Robinson Memorial Tournament with a 3-0 loss to Wartburg College to opener the day, before rebounding to defeat North Park University, 3-1 in the finale.
 
In the opener against the Knights (18-6), North Central came out of the gate slow and never found its rhythm.  With the score tied 17-17 in the first set, the Cardinal offense was stymied by a pair of Wartburg blocks and three straight kills, as the Knights claimed the final eight points to take the set 25-17.
 
In set two the Cardinals (16-5) trailed from the opening point, while Wartburg scored 10 of the final 12 points, cruising to a 25-13 win.
 
The third set was much of the same for the Cardinal offense as Julie Laugel gave the Cardinals a brief 6-5 lead, but the offense struggled the rest of the way, eventually succumbing the set 25-14.
 
The Cardinal offense committed 22 attack errors to Wartburg's two, while the Knights also held a 9-1 advantage in total team blocks.
 
Laguel and Amanda Hilmer each finished with six kills in the opener, while Laura Kluk added 22 assists and Jill Galovic chipped in 20 digs defensively.
 
Against North Park, the Cardinal offense found its stride early on in set one, jumping out to a 13-6 lead and forcing a Viking timeout.  The rally was highlighted by kills from Laugel, Hilmer and Kedryn Orrison, while Orrison also blocked a key attack attempt.  North Central would control the game the rest of the way, cruising to a 25-17 opening set win.
 
Set number two was all North Central, at one point scoring nine consecutive points to take a commanding 22-8 lead, including four blocks during that span, and would go on to clinch the set 25-11.
 
After stumbling and dropping set three, 22-25, the Cardinals bounced back to win the fourth set 25-20 as the turning point came as the two teams were deadlocked 19-19.  After Claire Vrabec gave the Cardinals a one-point lead with a kill, Laura Kluk served up back-to-back aces to give North Central a 22-19 lead.
 
North Park (8-15) rallied with a kill on the next point but gave the ball right back to North Central on a service error, and the Cardinals finished off the match with a service ace off the hand of Vrabec and Amanda Walker closed it out with one of her six total blocks in the nightcap.
 
Walker finished with a game-high 15 kills to go along with her six blocks, while Vrabec added nine kills and four service aces.  Kluk totaled a game-high 39 assists and six aces, as well as eight digs and six kills.  Defensively, Laugel led the Cardinals with 13 digs, while Galovic added 11.
 
Walker and Kluk were each named to the all-tournament team for their performances throughout the weekend.
 
North Central continues College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play Tuesday, Oct. 14, hosting #22 Carthage College at 7 pm.   Links to live video and statistics is available HERE.