MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- The Rams found themselves down two sets to none after losing a tough second set to Crown College by just two points. But North Central University found a way to respond in a big way to come back and earn a five set victory for their first conference win of the year.

North Central (2-24, 1-12) dropped the first set 25-19 and was down 14-9 in game two before grabbing a bit of momentum. The Rams closed to within 24-23 but came up just short in a 25-23 second set loss.

But the momentum from game two carried over to the third set where NCU powered past the Storm for a 25-14 win. That win kept the Rams in the match and gave them a chance to earn what would be their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) match of the year.

Game four was a back and forth set with the teams eventually coming to a 22-22 tie before the Rams took the last three points to force a decisive fifth game.

In such a hard fought match it was to be expected that the teams would need extra points in the final set. With the score knotted at 15, North Central got two match clinching kills from a pair of freshman. Jamie High (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) put down the 16th point of the set before Karlee Cox (Des Moines, Iowa/Saydell) claimed the match point for NCU.

Senior Mariah Simonson (Zumbrota, Minn./Zumbrota-Mazzepa) led NCU with 21 kills, 4 service aces and 29 digs. Jamie High recorded 16 kills, 4 solo blocks, 3 block assists and 3 service aces. Freshman Sarah Trickey (Waseca, Minn./Waseca) added 13 kills.

The Rams will be back in action on Saturday with a Noon match verses the University of Minnesota-Morris (Morris, Minn.). The match is also NCU Parents day and the team will honor its seniors in their final game in Navy and Vegas.