Contact: Ava Yurchison, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Results

CHICAGO (Feb. 7, 2017)- Entering their fourth non-conference match of the 2017 campaign, the North Central mens volleyball picked up a 3-1 win against the Illinois Institute of Technology Scarlet Hawks late Tuesday evening at the Keating Sports Center, improving to 4-2 on the young season.
 
Opening the match, the Cardinals and Scarlet Hawks remained deadlocked within two points of one another. A kill by freshman Casey Hiller from sophomore Michael Trunzo ignited a 5-2 run for North Central followed by a timeout for IIT. Following their timeout, the Scarlet Hawks tallied a few more points, though the North Central offense remained on the attack, winning the set 25-15. North Central concluded the set hitting .231, with zero reception errors and 10 kills.
 
Coming off losing the first set, IIT quickly sprung to gain the first points of the set. North Central then found itself on a 5-2 run off a kill from Hiller. IIT found itself some momentum and gained their own five consecutive points widening their lead  9-5 and warranting a North Central timeout. For the third time in the match, North Central rallied behind Hiller from Trunzo to close the point gap and force a IIT timeout. Though, IIT found the momentum they needed and finished the set winning 25-18.
 
The momentum of the match remained with IIT as the third set got underway. An attacking error on the behalf of IIT and a kill from freshman Brendan Crawford gave North Central a two-point lead and sparked a movement for the Cardinals who cruised to a 25-18 set win. Sophomore Bozhidar Kolev tallied five kills to assist the Cardinals.  
 
Tied at 12-all in the fourth set, the Cardinals went on a 7-3 spurt capped off by a kill from freshman Nick Lilley to take a 19-15 lead. The Cardinals held off the Scarlet Hawks who went on their own two-point run, though it was not enough as an attacking error ended that run and the Cardinals finished out the match, winning 25-20.
 
Overall North Central earned 37 kills and 51 digs. Hiller lead the Cardinals with a team high of eight kills and four blocks, while Trunzo lead with 24 assists and 10 digs. Kolev got a season high of five kills and sophomore Ben Cartwright earned a season high of three assists. 

The Cardinals' host Mount St.Joseph University this Saturday at 11 a.m. at Gregory Arena, and then travel to the Rice Center in Lisle, Ill. to face off against Benedictine University at 7 p.m.