Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu
 
Jan. 19, 2025 - In their first competition at home, the North Central College men's volleyball team dropped their non-conference match against the No. 2 New York University Violets in five sets on Sunday in Gregory Arena.
 
The first set saw 25 tied scores and two lead changes. New York went on a three-point run to take a 14-10 lead. North Central was quick to tie the set again, with the help of a service ace from Carson Steinbach, kills from Teronce Walker and Chris Mactal, and an error from the Violets offense (14-14). Later, the set was tied at 23-23. The Cardinals capitalized on a service error from New York, and Jeffrey McEachern secured the set with a kill (25-23).
 
The Cardinals and the Violets stayed close in score for the majority of the second set. However, toward the end of the set, New York pulled away. Tied at 16-16, the Violets went on a four-point run (20-16) and ultimately took the set 25-19.
 
A kill from Steinbach opened up the third set. North Central once again capitalized on New York's errors and kills from Austin Scott and Cooper Lundal to take a 4-1 run (11-7). The Cardinals held their lead until the set was tied at 18-18. After trading off points (20-20), North Central had three kills from Mactal, and a kill from Walker put the Cardinals in a winning position. North Central took the third set 25-22.
 
New York was not ready to end the match, bringing momentum and energy into the fourth set. After a tie at 15-15, the Violets earned three consecutive points (18-15). The Cardinals fought back, but New York continued to increase the margin. The Violets took the fourth set 25-19 and sent the match into one final set.
 
The final set saw four tied scores and two lead changes. Tied at 4-4, the Violets gained momentum and went on a 7-2 run (11-6).  As the teams traded off points, North Central ran out of time for a comeback. The Violets won the match 3-2 by taking the set 15-10.
 
Walker and Mactal led the Cardinals' offense with 12 kills each, followed closely behind by McEachern (10). Danny Smithers led the Cardinals' defense, recording 11 digs. Steinbach was a key player for the Cardinals on both sides of the ball. He recorded 42 assists, eight digs, three blocks, and one service ace on the day.
 
North Central will host the Illinois Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 23, in Gregory Arena in Naperville, Ill.
 
Download the free North Central Cardinals app, available 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.