MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.-- A few points were the difference between NCU sweeping a triangular and spliting with Crown College and Mount Mary University at home on Saturday afternoon. NCU lost two sets in extra points to the Storm in the opener but closed with a sweep of the Blue Angels in Clark-Danielson Gymnasium.

North Central got up by 13-6 margin the first set of their match with Crown College (St. Bonifacius, Minn.) on Saturday. But in a match full of near misses for NCU, the Storm would earn a 28-26 first set win. Trailing 24-23 NCU was able to eventually get to 25-25 and 26-26 but could not capitalize.

The second set saw NCU win a close set that saw neither team get more than four points away. The Rams need three set points before taking a 26-24 win to make it 1-1 in the match.

The third set ended in disappointment once again for NCU as they got behind 20-14 before rallying back to eventually tie it several times including at 26-26. But the Rams could not get the needed points and fell behind 2-1.

The fourth set saw NCU surge out to a 7-1 lead before Crown regained their footing and eventually took a 14-11 lead. The Rams tied the match at 19-19 before the Storm made a final surge and won 25-20.

Sophomore Sarah Trickey (Waseca, Minn./Waseca) had a match high 19 kills along with 11 digs and 3 block assists. Sophomore Jamie High (Buffalo, Minn./Buffalo) added 15 kills, 14 digs and 5 block assists. Freshman Elissa Pheneger (Roseville, Minn./Concordia Academy) had a match high 37 assists along with 13 digs.

After Crown swept Mount Mary University (Milwaukee, Wis.) 3-0 it was time for North Central to get their shot at the Blue Angels in the final match of the day. North Central played one of their best sets of the year in the opener versus Mt. Mary, earning a 25-6 win.

The second set was more of a battle with the Rams pulling away late in the game to earn a 25-18 win. For North Central to take the match they needed extra points in the third set and it came down to a familiar situation for the Rams.

Mount Mary earned their first set point of the match with the score 25-24 before a kill from Jamie High gave the Rams new life and a tied score. NCU missed in their first chance at match point and the teams were tied once again at 26-26.

The Blue Angels took a 27-26 lead before sophomore Whitney Reames (Vassar, Minn./Vassar) recorded a kill to tie the match. Jamie High and Sarah Trickey then got kills on the next two plays to give NCU a 29-27 win.

Jamie High was once again a force in the middle for NCU with a match high 17 kills and a team high 15 digs. Sarah Trickey notched 13 kills and 9 digs. Elissa Pheneger recorded 38 assists and 13 digs. Whitney Reams had seven kills and sophomore Karlee Cox (Des Moines, Iowa/Saydell) had six kills seven digs.

The Rams will be off until next Friday when they travel to Coe College (Cedar Rapids, Iowa). NCU will take on Waldorf College (Forest City, Iowa) at 6 p.m. before battling the host Kohawks at 8 p.m.