Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
BLOOMINGTON, Ill (Oct. 5, 2022) - Improving to 4-1 in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, the North Central College women's volleyball team used all five sets to take down Illinois Wesleyan University for the first time since 2014.
Maddi Barickman set a new career-high of 52 assists in the match, which is the most by any player in the CCIW this season. Aidan Brown tallied 19 kills which marks the sixth time in the last seven matches that she has posted double-digit kills. Emily Stallmann recorded a career-best five aces and 19 digs on the night.
The first set was controlled by the Titans who jumped out to a 10-2 lead. The Cardinals came within six points, but Illinois Wesleyan earned an opening set victory, 25-15. A kill by Abbi Barickman tied the second set at 4-4. Each team traded points until a Kendra Battle kill put North Central ahead by one, 12-11. Neither team went up by more than one point until Brown notched back-to-back kills to bring the Cardinal lead to two, 19-17. To end a 6-2 run for the Cardinals, Battle posted another kill to even the match with a 25-20 win in set two.
Another kill by Battle knotted the third set at six before the Titans used a run to take a 13-9 lead. The Cardinals responded with a 6-1 rally to retake the lead, 15-14. A Taylor O'Malley ace sparked a 9-5 run for North Central to win set three, 15-20, and take a 2-1 lead for the match.
Both teams went back-and-forth as a kill from Maddi Barickman cut the Illinois Wesleyan lead to two, 9-7. The Titans held the lead throughout the set but the Cardinals did not go away as a kill from Abbi Barickman tied the set at 21. The teams again traded points before Illinois Wesleyan won three straight points to win 31-29 in the longest set of the Cardinals season.
The Cardinals took a 3-2 lead in the fifth and final set thanks to back-to-back aces from Stallmann. The Titans held a 10-8 advantage but North Central found their rhythm as a kill from Amber Vande Hei started a 7-0 run, capped off by another Stallmann ace to win the final set 15-10 and take the match, 3-2.
North Central hosts the Tiffany Robinson Memorial Tournament beginning on Friday. The Cardinals face Alma College at 6 p.m. in Gregory Arena.
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