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

RIVER FOREST, Ill. (Oct. 11, 2022) - Winning their 25th straight match over Concordia University Chicago, the North Central College women's volleyball team picked up their sixth sweep of the season as they beat the Cougars 3-0 on Tuesday night in Geiseman Gymnasium.

Scoring the first point of the match, a kill from Maddi Barickman got things started. Both teams traded points until back-to-back kills from Kendra Battle tied the contest at 12. To close out the first set, the Cardinals went on a 10-1 run as a kill from Abbi Barickman secured the set one victory, 25-15.

Keeping that momentum going, an ace from Maddi Barickman and a kill from Battle gave North Central a 7-4 edge early in the second set. A Sarah Elischer kill sparked a 6-1 rally to double the Cougars point total, 12-6. With the score at 15-12, Amber Vande Hei's kill gave the Cardinals and Emily Stallmann possession as she served for nine straight points to close out the set with another huge rally, 25-12.

Set three began with the Cardinals taking an early lead as a block from Emma Happ and Battle gave North Central a 5-0 advantage. An ace from Aliyah Valentine capped off a 5-1 run before a kill from Katie Little put the Cardinals up 16-12. The Cougars fought back to tie the set at 16. Again, North Central rallied late in a set as they finished the set out on a 9-3 run to win the set, 25-19, and the match, 3-0.

On the night, North Central hit .220 while holding the Cougars to just .036. As a team, the Cardinals tallied nine aces compared to CUC's one. Abbi Barickman recorded 12 kills to lead North Central while Maddi Barickman led the team in assists (34), digs (13), blocks (4), and aces (3).

The Cardinals head to Calvin University on Friday as they face two ranked opponents in No. 5 Calvin and No. 14 Hope College in the Midwest Invitational. They take on the Knights at 3 p.m. (ET) on Friday afternoon in Van Noord Arena.

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.