Contact: Emily Zadny, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Box Score

March 1, 2019 – Playing in a different venue just a few feet from their normal stomping grounds did not affect the North Central College men's volleyball team as the Cardinals scored their first Midwest Collegiate Volleyball League (MCVL) win against Trine University (4-13) inside Res/Rec.

The Thunder took a brief 3-1 lead in the first set before a clever play by Michael Trunzo and Jacob Zemba knotted the score, 6-6. Trine came back to tie it again, 9-9, but a four-point run by the Cardinals, fueled by an ace from Trunzo, kill from Zemba and block from him and Justin Curtis put North Central ahead 13-9. The Thunder tried to chip away, but it was an ace by Bozhidar Kolev that set the Cardinals up for set pint, 24-18. The Thunder soon capitalized on a service error that sparked four-straight points and forced North Central to take a timeout, now with the lead cut 24-22. Coming out of the short break, Trunzo found Zemba for a well-timed kill, giving the Cardinals a 1-0 advantage.

North Central prohibited Trine from gaining any momentum in the second set, hitting an impressive .690 en route to a 25-9 victory. Kolev recorded two service aces in the set and Trunzo added two of his own, while Zemba, Curtis, and Nick Lilley played a key role in North Central's attack at the net.

Trine came back fighting in the third set, taking a 9-7 lead, but North Central scored five straight points, including back-to-back aces from Trunzo, to go ahead 12-9.
Zemba led all players with 11 kills, followed by Curtis with seven and Kolev with five. Trunzo had a match-high five service aces and Curtis led the block party with three. Lilley added an ace of his own after Kolev and Anthony Kluak went up for a huge block, helping the Cardinals lead 20-13 and ultimately take the third set, 25-17.

The Cardinals return to Res/Rec on Saturday, March 2 to host Mount St. Joseph University at 1 p.m. A link to live in-match coverage can be found HERE.