Contact: Drew Sauer, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324Saint Mary's Box ScoreUW-Eau Claire Box ScoreWHEATON, Ill. (Oct. 2, 2015) -- The North Central College women's volleyball team suffered a pair of losses in the opening day of the Wheaton College Invitational, falling 3-0 to Saint Mary's College in the opener, before dropping a 3-1 decision to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.
In the opener against Saint Mary's (11-4), the turning point of the first set came with the score knotted 13-13, as the Belles rattled off five straight points to quickly take a 18-13 lead. The Cardinals rallied to pull to within one, 20-19 but could not overtake the St. Mary's lead, dropping the opening set 25-20.
Set number two went extra points as North Central held set points after a
Cara Howell service ace to take a 26-25 advantage, but the Belles responded with two-straight points to turn the tables and take a 27-26 lead.
After
Amanda Walker tied the score yet again with a kill, Saint Mary's scored back-to-back kills to win the second set 29-27.
Despite holding a 18-14 lead in set three, the Cardinals were unable to hold on as the Belles rallied with four-straight points to tie the score at 18.
Like set number two, the third set would go into extras and with the score knotted 27-27, the Belles once again rattle off back-to-back kills to end the match 29-27.
Howell led the Cardinal attack with 11 kills, while
Ashley Powers turned in a game-high 27 assists. Defensively,
Jill Galovic led all players with 17 digs and Walker added four blocks.
In the nightcap against UW-Eau Claire, the Cardinals trailed by just one, 19-18, late in the first set, but the Blugolds closed the set on a 6-1 run to win the opener 25-19.
The Cardinals quickly jumped out to a 11-5 lead in the second set, but the Blugolds once again rallied, scoring the next 11 points to turn the tables and take a 16-11 advantage. North Central clawed back throughout the remainder of the set, eventually tying the score 24-24, but the UW-Eau Claire lead was too much to overcome, as a Blugold kill and Cardinal attack error ended the set 26-24 in favor of the Blugolds (12-6).
Set number three was much of the same as the second, as the Cardinals started the set with a 11-8 lead, but UW-Eau Claire responded with seven straight points to take a 15-11 advantage. Once again, North Central battled back to knot the score at 24, while this time the Cardinals were able to secure the final two points on a
Bridget White kill and a service ace from
Olivia Hanley sealed the third set for North Central, 26-24.
The fourth set was much of the same back-and-forth as the previous sets, as North Central yet again jumped out to a 16-12 lead midway through the set, but that lead was spoiled by a 8-1 Blugold rally.
Battling back to tie the score at 23, a
Anna Billman kill set North Central up with set point, but the Cardinals could not close out the set, as a Blugold kill and back-to-back blocks ended the set 26-24.
Walker paced the Cardinals with a match-high 13 kills, while
Claire Vrabec added 12 and Howell finished with 11. Powers once again led all players with 44 assists, while Galovic finished with 23 digs on defense.
North Central continues play in the Wheaton Invite tomorrow, taking on the University of Dubuque at 9:45 a.m., followed by No. 12 University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point at 2:30 p.m.
