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

Benedictine Box Score

Lake Forest Box Score

LISLE, Ill. (Sept. 18, 2015) – Improving to 11-2 this season, the North Central College women's volleyball team turned in a pair of victories at the Benedictine University Triangular, shutting out the host Eagles, 3-0 before sneaking out a 3-2 victory over Lake Forest College in the nightcap.

The Cardinals (11-2) jumped out to a quick 12-2 lead in the opening set against Benedictine (5-5), as Cara Howell attributed three kills over the rally, while Claire Vrabec also added a pair to lead the Cardinals to a 25-10 win.

The second set began much of the same way as the first, as North Central jumped out to a 12-4 lead behind three kills and two blocks from Laura Kluk, but the Eagles mounted a comeback to knot the score 21-21 late in the set.  The Cardinals were not to be denied however, rallying to score four of the final five points of the set to win 25-22.

Set three was all North Central, as four straight kills early led to a 9-4 lead and a Benedictine timeout, but the Eagles could not slow the Cardinal attack.  North Central finished with just one attack error in the third set, cruising to a 25-10 win. 

North Central ended the opening set with a .315 attack percentage, finishing with 41 kills to only 12 attack errors, led by Howell's nine kills.  Amanda Walker added eight kills, while Vrabec chipped in seven off the bench.  Kluk finished with a game-high 31 assists to go along with three service aces, while Olivia Hanley also finished with three aces, as well as 11 digs defensively.

The second match of the evening was more of a struggle for North Central, as an inconsistent attack nearly cost the Cardinals the match against Lake Forest, but ultimately snuck out a five-set win.

Leading 12-11 in the opening set, North Central would rally to win five of the next six points to take a commanding 17-12 lead, capped off by a service ace from Kluk.  North Central held Lake Forest (3-8) to a -.100 attack percentage in the opening set and would go on to win 25-17.

The Cardinal attack struggled in the second set, finishing with a .147 attack percentage to Lake Forest's .212 percentage, falling 22-25.

Regaining its stride in the third set, North Central ran away with a 25-13 win, finishing with 18 kills in the set, good for a .351 attack percentage to the Foresters' .031.

Unable to carry the momentum in to set number four, North Central struggled mightily to the tune of a .118 attack percentage and a season-high nine attack errors, falling 23-25.

The fifth set victory did not come easy for the Cardinals, with the score tied 15-15 Vrabec gave North Central a one-point lead with a kill, while a Foresters attack error on the final point secured the 17-15 win and the match for North Central.

Howell led all players with 22 kills in the nightcap, while Vrabec added 15 kills and Julie Laugel finished with nine. Kluk once again led all player with 49 assists, as well as a team-high two service aces. Defensively, Walker turned in a team-high five blocks, while Jill Galovic finished with a game-high 19 digs.

North Central is back in action on Monday, Sept. 21, traveling to Wisconsin Lutheran College at 7 p.m.