Women's Volleyball | 8/30/2014 5:36:00 PM

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

Rowan Box Score

New York Box Score

NEW YORK, N.Y. (Aug. 30, 2014) – Improving to 4-0 this season, the North Central College women's volleyball team defeated New York University, 3-2 (22-25, 25-20, 22-25, 25-15, 15-5) in comeback fashion Saturday afternoon in the championship match of the NYU Labor Day Invitational, after cruising past Rowan University earlier in the afternoon to advance to the final.
 
North Central trailed throughout the first set, but battled back with four straight points late in the set to tie the score at 22.  The Cardinals (4-0) rally would end there as the Violets (3-1) tallied the final three points to take the first set, 25-22.
 
In the second set, the Cardinals jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead behind a pair of service aces by Laura Kluk, and North Central would not surrender the lead the remainder of the set to win 25-20 and even the match 1-1.
 
The Cardinals took a brief 20-19 lead late in set three, but NYU would rally to score six of the final eight points to take the third set 25-22 and take a 2-1 match lead.
 
North Central found itself a set from elimination and in unfamiliar territory after entering the match winning all nine sets played this season.  The Cardinals responded with a dominant fourth set, leading from the opening point and winning 25-15, forcing a decisive fifth set.
 
The Cardinals carried the momentum into the final set and proved to be too much for the Violets.  NYU had no answer to the Cardinal offense while the defense delivered some key blocks to complete the comeback.
 
Julie Laugel and Amanda Hilmer each finished with double-digit kills in the championship match, while the Cardinal defense recorded 82 digs and 11 blocks led by Jessie Fiala's 26 digs.
 
In the first set of the day's opening match against Rowan, the two teams played to a 9-9 tie before the Cardinals outscored the Profs, 16-4 the rest of the way, cruising to a 25-13 victory.
 
North Central trailed 14-10 midway through the second half of set two, but the Cardinals responded with kills from AnnMarie Bachmann and Amy Hermle, followed by a pair of Rowan attack errors to knot the score at 15.
 
After the Profs (0-3) took a one-point lead, the Cardinals rebounded with five straight points, including kills from Kedryn Orrison and Laugel, as well as a service ace off the hand of Jill Galovic, to take a 20-16 lead and the Cardinals would hold off the Prof attack down the stretch to take the second set 25-20.
 
In the third set, the turning point came as the two teams were tied at six and North Central proceeded to rattle off seven straight points, highlighted by two kills from Claire Vrabec as well as a key blocks from Vrabec and Hermle.
 
Rowan would pull within two late in the set, but the Cardinal defense held off the Profs down the stretch to claim the final set 25-18.
 
Laugel paced the Cardinal offense with eight kills, while Kluk added 31 assists and Fiala finished with 17 digs in the opener.
 
North Central travels to Chicago, Ill. for the North Park Clash, Sept. 5-6, opening up against Marian University on Friday at 2 pm.