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

NAPERVILLE, Ill. (Sept. 23, 2022) - Staying perfect in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play, the North Central College women's volleyball team (6-3, 2-0 CCIW) tallied 62 kills on their way to a 3-1 victory over Wheaton College (7-6, 0-2 CCIW) on Friday night in Gregory Arena.

After a back-and-forth beginning to the first set of the match, the Thunder held an 11-9 lead before Maddi Barickman sent home her first kill. Aidan Brown posted back-to-back kills before an Emily Stallmann ace gave the Cardinals a 13-12 lead. Wheaton scored the next four points, but North Central answered as kills by Brown started and capped off a 6-0 rally. The Cardinals controlled the lead the rest of the way, earning a 25-22 opening set win.

Two straight service aces from Brown gave the Cardinals a 5-1 advantage early in the second set. Wheaton responded to tie the contest at 10 before a 7-1 run from North Central extended their lead. The two teams traded runs but North Central prevailed as a kill from Maddi Barickman sealed the second set, 25-21.

Wheaton jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the third set. Both teams went back and forth until the Cardinals knotted the set at 12-12. Following a 6-1 run from the Thunder, a 7-1 Cardinal rally pushed the third set beyond 25 as they tied the set at 24-24. A Thunder attack error gave North Central the 25-24 advantage but Wheaton scored the next three points to send the match into a fourth set.

A kill from Katie Little sparked a 6-0 run for the Cardinals as they stormed out to an 11-6 lead in the fourth set. Abbi Barickman totaled four kills in the next North Central run as they scored eight of nine points to take a 21-11 advantage. The Thunder responded again, bringing the score to 22-17, but kills from Kendra Battle and Amber Vande Hei closed out the set, 25-18, and the match, 3-1.

As a team, North Central tallied 62 kills, 12 aces, and 52 assists while hitting .198. The Barickman sisters each posted career highs as Abbi Barickman recorded 15 kills while Maddi Barickman dished out 46 assists. Taylor O'Malley and Maddi Barickman each had four aces while Stallmann totaled a season-high 25 digs.

The Cardinals take a break from CCIW play as they travel to River Forest to face Dominican at 4 p.m. inside of Igini Sports Forum.

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