ASHLAND, Wis. – The North Central University (NCU) women's volleyball team headed back on the road across the Minnesota-Wisconsin border on Wednesday (9/18) in anticipation of a triangular hosted by Northland College. As the Rams are coming off a busy two days this past weekend spent in Rockford, Illinois, they managed to sustain their energy and come away with a crucial split. The first match of the evening saw the Rams taking on a hard-hitting Northland College Lumberjills, where they fell 3 sets to 0 on the Lumberjills' home floor. Directly following the loss, however, the Rams rebounded quickly and came out on top 3 sets to 1 in the later match against the Finlandia University Lions in dominating fashion.

Game 1 Recap

A true battle-mentality from the Rams in the second and third set highlighted their performance from the first match. With the Lumberjills on their own court, the Rams fought to the last points in these sets, where they both ended at a score of 22-25. Even with a Lumberjills squad that relied on their great outside hitters, the Rams held their own on the defensive side. They fared to push Northland until the very end and looked to force additional sets. It was not enough though as the Lumberjills ended up narrowly edging the Blue and Gold in those sets to eventually take the match in a sweep 3 sets to 0.

Key Performer(s):

• Emily DiGiorgio tallied 3 blocks to help the backcourt find their groove against a hard-hitting Northland College.
   

Game 2 Recap

The Rams came back from dropping their match with a vengeance against the Finlandia University Lions. In their second match of the night, the Rams fired on all cylinders from the very first serve as they routed the Lions in the first set 25-6. NCU dominated in almost every statistical category throughout the match in comparison to the Lions. A couple categories are highlighted by 20 service aces and 41 assists to set up a whopping 45 kills for the Rams. A well-rounded Rams team showed their strengths by solidifying their rotation to continue their attack the entire match. Stuffing the offensive stat sheet guided the Rams to taking the match in only four sets, 3 to 1 (25-6, 25-28, 22-25, 25-11). They managed to split a crucial two matches on the evening before making the long haul back to Minneapolis later tonight. This is a huge showing for NCU heading further into their 2019 campaign.

Key Performer(s):

• Hannah Fischer led all Rams on the match with a total of 16 kills. Her outside hitting allowed the rest of the team to follow behind her outstanding night and exceed well in their roles.
• Alannah Esther had an exceptional match for the Rams. The true freshman made her impact in this one where she racked up 23 assists and set up her hitters, such as Fischer, for massive success.
• Jaselyn Anderson also managed to chip in 9 kills of her own on the night. She was a great asset coming off the bench for the Rams and provided another offensive weapon on the inside net.

Looking Ahead

NCU will now set their sights on returning back home after their long road stint. They are set to host the Crown College Storm in another non-conference UMAC matchup this coming Saturday, (9/21). The Rams showcased their promising versatility tonight across numerous facets of the game, which is extremely encouraging to see moving forward. The Blue and Gold will now enjoy being off the road for a while and look forward to competing back on their home floor the next two Saturdays. Sitting at a respectable 6-7 record, this Rams volleyball team will strive to continue their astounding play.