Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu
Feb. 1, 2025 - In their fifth consecutive five-set match, the North Central College men's volleyball team ultimately fell to the 2024 national champions and fourth-ranked California Lutheran University 3-2 Saturday afternoon in Merner Field House.
An attack error from the Kingsmen gave the Cardinals the first point of the match, but the team kept the score tight until a tie at 16-16. North Central took a 5-1 run, including Carson Steinbach, who recorded two consecutive kills and a kill from Jeffrey McEachern (21-17). After a kill by the Kingsmen, North Central did not let Cal Lutheran earn any more points. PJ Vaughan sealed the set with a service ace (25-18).
The second set saw eight tied scores and four lead changes. Once again, the teams took back-and-forth points until North Central ripped the energy from the Kingsmen (6-4). Later, the Cardinals were down 14-19 but clawed their way back to earn nine consecutive points and take the lead (23-19). In the nine-point run, Brannen Almarales recorded four kills. Looking for two final points, Almarales stayed hot at the front of the net and delivered two more kills to end the set (25-20).
Unfortunately, in hopes of stopping the Cardinals from sweeping them, the Kingsmen brought energy into the third set. Cal Lutheran started to pull away with the set after a four-point run to increase their lead (11-6). North Central was patient and fought back, bringing the set to 19-23. The Cardinals had one final drive from kills by Austin Scott and Almarales, but the Kingsmen ended the set with a kill (25-21).
As the two teams both fought for the win, the fourth set saw six tied scores and three lead changes. Tied at 7-7, Cal Lutheran earned five consecutive points (12-7). However, the Cardinals combated this by taking four-point runs of their own (12-11). The teams made their way to the end of the set with back-and-forth runs. The Cardinals ran out of time when the Kingsmen won the set off a 5-1 run (25-19).
The final set included four ties but no lead changes. Leading from the start, Cal Lutheran took the first two points from kills. Down by four points (11-7), North Central earned exactly four points, led by Steinbach at the service line (11-11). The Kingsmen responded with three points of their own and, after one final kill from Scott, took the set 15-12 and won the match (3-2).
Scott led the Cardinal's offense with a season-high 16 kills, followed by Cooper Lundal (12) and McEachern (12). PJ Vaughan earned two service aces, and Danny Smithers tallied 13 digs on the defensive front. Steinbach recorded a career-high of 47 assists while also tallying 12 digs and a service ace.
The Cardinals will return to the court tomorrow, Sunday, Feb. 2, at 12 p.m. to close out the Triangular against Nazareth University in Merner Field House.
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