Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Assistant Sports Information Director, 630-637-5324
DUBUQUE, Iowa (Sept. 2, 2022) - Playing in their first match of the season, the North Central College women's volleyball team rallied from down two sets to knock off the University of Dubuque in a five-set thriller on Friday night at the Stoltz Center.
The Spartans jumped out to an early 8-2 lead, forcing the Cardinals to take a timeout. An attack error from Dubuque and an Aidan Brown service ace gave the Cardinals momentum as a kill from Katie Little put North Central within two, 11-13. Winning five of the next seven points, a block by Sarah Elischer and Abbi Barickman knotted the set at 15. Following back and forth action from both teams, the opening set was tied at 19 when an Aliyah Valentine service ace followed by another Spartan error gave the Cardinals a 21-19 advantage, forcing Dubuque to take a timeout. With a 24-21 lead, the Cardinals took advantage of a Spartan error to take set one 25-22.
With the Spartans up by one in the second set, kills by Elischer, Isabelle Guerrero, and Little put the Cardinals ahead 6-4. Both teams battled before a kill from Brown set the score even at 13. From there, Dubuque pulled ahead by four, 20-16 before closing out the set 25-22 to even the match at 1-1. The third set saw more back-and-forth action as the two teams were knotted at 10 early in the set. Neither team went ahead by more than two points until Dubuque scored six of the final seven points.
Needing to win the fourth set to stay alive, North Central found themselves in a 7-1 deficit early on. After a string of kills from the Cardinals, Guerrero tied the contest at 12. Three straight kills from Little pushed North Central ahead 23-17 before Little closed out the set with her seventh kill of the set to secure a 25-20 victory, forcing a fifth and final set.
The Cardinals jumped out to a 7-3 advantage after Guerrero, set up by Maddi Barickman, sent home her second kill of the set. Dubuque battled back to tie the set at 10 but North Central prevailed by winning the final five points to earn their first win of the season.
On the night, North Central posted a .288 hitting percentage along with nine service aces and 64 blocks. Guerrero (16) and Little led the Cardinals in kills while M. Barickman tallied 40 assists. Emily Stallmann recorded 24 digs. Darby Hawtrey had 16 kills for the Spartans.
The Cardinals conclude the Dubuque River City Classic tomorrow as they take on Knox College (10 AM) and Wisconsin Lutheran College (12 PM) at the Stoltz Center.
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