Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Oct. 8, 2021) - Taking a break from conference play, the North Central College women's volleyball team faced the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) on Friday night in Gregory Arena and lost 3-1 to the No. 21 ranked Pointers.

A kill from Isabelle Guerrero stopped a UWSP four-point swing early in the first set to put the score at 4-7. Emma Happ and Kaitlyn Boelter-Eberhardt stopped Mena Guresi's attacked to bring the Cardinals within two, 9-11. Following two points from each side, the Pointers went on an 11-1 rally to take the opening set, 25-12.

Looking to bounce back, Boelter-Eberhardt's third kill of the match pushed North Central ahead 3-2 to open set two. After back-and-forth action, UWSP put together a 9-1 run to take a 15-7 lead. With the score at 23-10, the Cardinals rallied and scored seven of the next eight points, but it wasn't enough as the Pointers took the second set, 25-17. 

The Cardinals came out swinging in the third set as a kill from Sarah Elischer put North Central ahead 4-1. Back-to-back serving errors for the Pointers sparked a 5-1 rally before the Cardinals engineered a 6-2 run to gain a 19-15 advantage late in the set. Despite, UWSP's best efforts, including a 5-1 run of their own, North Central held on and secured the third set thanks to a kill from Guererro to end the set and give the Cardinals a 25-23 victory.

An ace from Anna Gawron gave North Central an early lead, 4-3 in the fourth set of the match. With neither team gaining much ground, the Cardianls won three straight points, capped off by an Emily Stallmann ace to take a 14-12 lead. The Pointers responded with a 13-3 run to win the set 25-17, and the match 3-1.

Boelter-Eberhardt led the way on offense for the Cardinals with nine kills, followed by Guerrero (7) and Amber Vande Hei (6). Maddi Barickman and Gawron split the setting duties as M. Barickman dished out 16 assists to Gawron's 14. Trinity Evans posted two service aces while Stallmann recorded 17 digs on the evening. Ashley Kopp tallied 17 kills in the match as Grace Michalske sent out 28 assists for the Pointers.

North Central returns to conference action on Wednesday by welcoming Carthage College (13-9, 3-1 CCIW) to Gregory Arena. The first serve is set for 7 PM. You can find links to live video and live stats HERE.

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.