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MSOE Box Score
LISLE, Ill. (Oct. 30, 2015) – Playing in its last tournament of the season, the North Central College women's volleyball team turned in a pair of victories to open play in the Benedictine University Eagle Classic, coming back from two sets down to defeat Aurora University, 3-2 before cruising past Milwaukee School of Engineering, 3-0 in the nightcap.
The Cardinals (20-12) came out slow against Aurora (13-17), falling into a 2-0 hole after committing 15 attack errors over the first two sets, losing 25-23 and 25-20, but the North Central attack came alive over the next three sets, committing only seven attack errors the rest of the way.
In the third set, a 5-0 Cardinal run gave North Central a 11-4 lead midway through the set, highlighted by kills from
Cara Howell and
Amanda Walker, while Walker and
Laura Kluk also combined on a block during the rally.
The Cardinals' increased its lead to a commanding 20-8 score down the stretch and eventually captured the set 25-15, finishing with a .435 attack percentage.
Set four was all North Central as the Cardinals' held a 18-10 lead late and closed out the set winning the final seven points, highlighted by a pair of service aces from Howell, as well as two kills from
Claire Vrabec to win the set 25-10. The Cardinal attack finished the set with 14 kills to only one attack error, turning in a match-high .448 attack percentage.
North Central carried that momentum into the final set, forcing a Spartan timeout after jumping out to a 4-0 lead after kills from Howell and
Julie Laugel, while Howell and
Brittany Tickner also combined on a block.
The Cardinals' held a steady lead throughout and leading 13-8 late, kills from Laugel and Howell clinched the comeback win for North Central.
Three Cardinals finished with multiple kills in the opener led by Howell's 18, while Vrabec and Walker each finished with 12. Kluk finished with a match-high 49 assists, while Howell turned in a match-high seven service aces. Defensively,
Jill Galovic finished with 20 digs, while Walker added five blocks and Kluk added another four blocks.
North Central carried the momentum from its comeback win in the opener into the second match of the day against MSOE (11-16), as the Cardinals' jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first set behind kills from Howell and
Anna Billman, while
Kelly McGovern added a service ace.
The Raiders would mount a comeback however, as five straight points quickly gave MSOE a 11-10 lead. That lead would not last long as North Central countered with three-straight points off kills from Howell and Laugel, while taking advantage of a Raider attack error to regain the lead 13-11.
MSOE managed to knot the score at 15, but never eclipsed the lead as a 8-1 North Central run gave the Cardinals a commanding 23-16 lead late and eventually closed out the set 25-19.
In set number two, the two teams traded leads early on and with the score tied 15-15 North Central went on the set's pivotal run, a 7-1 rally to take a 22-16 lead, taking advantage of three Raider attack errors as well as a service error. Back-to-back
Olivia Hanley service aces finished off the set for North Central, 25-18.
Set three was all North Central as a 6-1 run midway through the set gave the Cardinals a 20-12 lead late and proved to be too much for the Raider to handle, winning the final set 25-19.
Walker finished with a match-high 13 kills in the nightcap, as her 25 combined kills on the day move her into 10
th on the program's all-time kills list (724). Her five total blocks against MSOE also move her into third on the program's career blocks list (308).
Kluk once again led all players with 28 assists in the nightcap, while Howell's four service aces also led the team for the second straight match.
North Central is back in action early tomorrow morning, squaring off against host Benedictine at 9:30 a.m., followed by Illinois Institute of Technology at 11:30 a.m. Links to live in-game statistics and video are available
HERE.
