Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Oct. 29, 2022) - Honoring lone senior
Ola Zugaj prior to the match for senior night, the North Central College women's volleyball prevailed in five sets to earn a hard-fought 3-2 victory over the Illinois Institute of Technology on Saturday night inside Gregory Arena.
Zugaj served up a 3-0 lead for the Cardinals to open the first set before the Scarlet Hawks evened the contest at three. Kills from Kendra Battle put North Central on top, 8-5, but again IIT responded to keep the set close. With a 21-16 lead for the Cardinals, the Scarlet Hawks closed out the opening set on a 9-2 run to take set one, 25-23.
A kill from Abbi Barickman sparked a 6-1 run from North Central to begin the second set. Danni Moser's first kill of the match doubled the Scarlet Hawks score, 12-6. A block from Moser and Amber Vande Hei began an 8-1 Cardinal rally as North Central cruised to a 25-12 win in set two.
An 11-2 run for North Central early in set three set the tone as a kill from Vande Hei put the Cardinals on top 17-10. Scoring the final seven points of the third set, North Central took set three 25-12.
Aidan Brown gave the Cardinals an early 7-6 lead in the fourth set before IIT tied the set at 11. The teams traded points as a kill from Barickman knotted the contest at 20-20. Kills from Moser and Battle put North Central ahead, 23-21 but IIT answered to put the score at 25-25. The Scarlet Hawks scored the final two points to force a fifth and final set.
Anna Gawron served up an ace to give North Central a 7-3 lead early in set five to force an IIT timeout. The Scarlet Hawks went on a 4-1 run to bring themselves within striking distance but the Cardinals responded by scoring the next three points to take a 13-8 lead. A block from Barickman and O'Malley clinched the final point for North Central to win the set, 15-11, and the match, 3-2.
Battle led the Cardinals with 14 kills followed by Brown with 12 and Moser with 11. Vande Hei notched a team-high seven blocks while Emily Stallmann tallied a career-high 36 digs. O'Malley posted 27 assists while Gawron dished out 25. As a team, the Cardinals hit .202.
The Cardinals return to the CCIW Tournament for the first time since 2012 as they will be hosting Augustana College on Tuesday night.
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