Contact: Clark Teuscher, Sports Information Director, 630-637-5302
Sept. 22, 2017 - Making itself at home in a different location on campus, the North Central College women's volleyball team delivered its first victory over a nationally-ranked program in Kyle Exline's first season as head coach Friday, defeating the 17th-ranked University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, 3-1, in the opening round of the CCIW/WIAC Crossover.
For the first time, the Cardinals competed in North Central's Residence Hall/Recreation Center instead of their customary facility in Merner Field House. The hosts needed little time to adjust to the move next door as they improved to 7-2 on the young season.
North Central scored five of the match's first six points and led throughout the first set, then scored five of the final six points of the opening frame to win, 25-18. The Cardinals led in the early going of the second set for the Pointers (14-4) scored seven points in a nine-point stretch to pull in front and level the match with a 25-22 victory.
After falling behind, 6-2, to open the third set, the Cardinals rallied to get back in contention and the lead shifted back and forth four times before the score stood tied at 22-22. The hosts staved off defeat by wiping out six set points before scoring the final three points, two of which came on kills by Cara Howell, and wrestling a 32-30 victory away from their opposition.
North Central led by as many as seven points midway through the third set before the visitors rallied to tie the score at 24-24 and 25-25, but a kill by Julie Laugel and a point off the serve of Olivia Hanley closed out the victory.
Howell put up a match-high 20 kills for the Cardinals, the highest single-match total for a North Central player this season, while Laugel finished with 16 and Rachel Elshoff totaled 13. Alexa Zimbelman recorded 55 assists, matching the fifth-highest total ever by a Cardinal in a four-set match, and Olivia Hanley put up a season-high 31 digs.
The Cardinals continue play in the CCIW/WIAC Crossover on Saturday, taking on the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse at 10 a.m.
