Contact: Ben Nordman, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, 630-637-5302

Box Score

NAPERVILLE, ILL. (Jan. 28, 2020) - The North Central College men's volleyball team dominated on Tuesday against Concordia University Chicago, defending their home court in a 3-0 final over the Cougars for their first victory in their new campaign.

The Cardinals jumped out to a big 9-4 lead to open the first set, recording three aces in the process, a common theme for them on the evening inside Merner Fieldhouse. The Cougars (2-2) came roaring back though and got within two points, 11-9, before a North Central timeout stopped the bleeding for the Cardinals.While the set stayed relatively close until the final point, the Cardinals were able to maintain the lead and finish the set with a 25-23 tally. Jason Eslinger and Jared Moser led the way for the Cardinals in the set, recording seven and three kills, respectively, while Michael Trunzo recorded 13 assists.

The Cougars proved no match for the Cardinals in the second set, as the home side dominated in a 25-14 final. Concordia's attacking percentage dipped down to 42% during the set, with errors costing them through the entirety. Moser recorded five more kills for the Cardinals while Eslinger had three of his four service aces during the set.

During the third set, the Cardinals found themselves in a battle with the Cougars jumping out to a 7-4 lead. North Central refocused and regained the lead on a 6-0 run again fueled by Moser and Eslinger following a timeout. Now up 10-7, the Cardinals did not allow Concordia to regain the lead, finishing the set and the game off with a 25-22 score.

Moser and Elsinger each recorded 14 kills throughout the match with Justin Curtis adding six. Samuel Kharasch had nine digs, with Trunzo and Kevin Braceros adding seven a piece. Trunzo also recorded 37 assists on the evening, ranking just outside the top-5 in program history for assists in a three-set match.

Concordia was led by Luke Vozenilek with 14 kills, the only Cougar to record double-digits in that department. Trent Weber led the team in assists with 24.

The Cardinals (1-1) are looking forward to the weekend now, as they take on Milwaukee School of Engineering on Friday at 8 pm before traveling back home for a contest against Illinois Institute of Technology on Saturday at 1:30 pm. Click HERE to find live stats and live video links for those contests.

Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available for iOS and Android devices, to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.