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

DECATUR, Ill. (Oct. 25, 2022) - Beginning their final week of the regular season, the North Central College women's volleyball team found themselves on the wrong side of a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin match on Tuesday night.

Following a kill from Kendra Battle to open the match, Aleesa Andresen served up an ace to put the Cardinals on top, 2-0. Both teams battled back and forth as a Sarah Elischer kill gave North Central an 11-10 edge. Aidan Brown set the score at 19-17 with a kill before the Big Blue finished off the opening set with an 8-2 run to claim set one, 25-21.

An ace from Taylor O'Malley knotted the second set at 4-4 before Millikin took a 10-6 lead. North Central responded as another kill from Brown gave the Cardinals a one point advantage, 14-13. The two teams traded points until a block by Battle and Amber Vande Hei tied the set at 24. A Big Blue attack error put North Central up by one, but Millikin scored the final three points to earn a 27-25 win in set two.

Continuing their momentum, the Big Blue jumped out to a 10-4 lead in the third and final set. Millikin led the whole way and took the third set 25-11 to win the match, 3-0 and improve to 5-2 in CCIW play while the Cardinals fell to 4-3.

On the night, Emily Stallmann tallied 17 digs while Brown recorded 16. Brown also led the Cardinals in kills with seven. Anna Gawron dished out 15 assists over the three sets of play.

The Cardinals conclude CCIW action on Friday night by hosting North Park University in another critical match to determine the CCIW standings and the conference tournament seeding. That match is set for 7 p.m. inside Gregory Arena.

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