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

Sept. 20, 2024 - Playing their first match inside Gregory Arena, the North Central College women's volleyball team was firing on all cylinders as the Cardinals cruised past Saint Mary's College 3-0 on Friday night for their fifth sweep of the season.

Two kills from Lauren Benson gave North Central a 4-3 edge early on in the opening set. A kill from Maddi Barickman halted a Belles run before the Cardinals scored six of the next seven points to take a 14-12 lead. Back-to-back blocks from Riley Clark, assisted by Benson kept North Central in front, 18-14. Abbi Barickman closed out the first set with a kill to give the Cardinals a 25-18 victory.

Amber Vande Hei scored the first points of the second set for North Central before a block from Benson and Clark gave the Cardinals a slight 4-2 advantage. B. Barickman's kill sparked a 5-0 run for North Central, taking a 9-3 lead. A kill from Clark opened a string of nine-straight serves from Katie Godo as the Cardinals rolled to a 20-7 advantage. An ace from Bailey Houlihan and a kill from Najwa Williams clinched the second set win, 25-12.

A kill from A. Barickman brought North Central back within two, 10-8. Vande Hei rattled off three straight kills followed by an ace from Sarah Harvey to put the Cardinals on top, 16-14. Isabelle Guerrero's kill began an 8-0 rally for North Central, capped off by a kill from Oluwaseun Osayemi. A Belles service error won the match for the Cardinals with a 25-16 victory in set three.

As a team, the Cardinals hit .353 while holding the Belles to just .073 in the match. Vande Hei led all players with 13 kills, along with M. Barickman (8) and Benson (7) to pace the offense. M. Barickman sent out 35 assists with Houlihan racking up 13 digs over the three sets. Clark and Benson each tallied three blocks on the night.

The Cardinals are back in action tomorrow, hosting the reigning Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Champions, Edgewood College. That match is set to begin at 2 p.m. inside Gregory Arena.

Download the free North Central Cardinals app for iOS and Android devices to receive up-to-the-minute news, scores, and updates on your favorite North Central teams. Click HERE for more information.