MILWAUKEE, Wis. -- After spending the night in Wisconsin, North Cental University's volleyball team came into Day 2 of the Blue Angels Bash seeking their first win of the weekend. After dropping their first match of the day against the Beloit College Buccaneers 3 sets to 1, the Rams managed to grab a win from the second match of the day. They played visitor to the hosts of the Bash, the Mount Mary University Blue Angels, and manged to knock them off their home court en route to stealing a 3 to 1 victory and splitting on the day.

Game 1 Recap

The Rams' first match of the day was set for them to take on the Buccaneers of Beloit College. With these two teams meeting at least once the past few years, they are no strangers to what the other brings. The Rams came out looking to grab their first win of the weekend against a talented and lengthy Buccaneer squad. After an extremely promising start and taking the first set 25-13, the Rams were unable get going offensively the rest of the way. Their defense stayed strong, but could not replicate what the Buccaneers' middle blockers brought. After the strong start, the Buccaneers ended up sweeping the remaining 3 sets (13-25, 19-25, and 17-25) to seal their 3 sets to 1 victory.

Key Performers:

• Hallie Fuglestad was a great foundation to the defense's success, as she managed 30 digs on 0 receiving errors.
• Freshman, Setter Alannah Esther made her way onto the collegiate scene and was able to provide an impact by racking up 12 assists on the match.
• Bria Reiser provided Fuglestad with assistance on the defensive side as well. Reiser statted 5 blocks, and provided a great presence at the net defensively.

Game 2 Recap

After a well-battled first match, the Rams did everything in their power to come back to Minneapolis with a win on the weekend, and did just that. The Rams squared-off against the Mount Mary University Blue Angels, and had no problem finding success in any facet of the match. With multiple players exceeding well in their roles, the Rams generated a steady balance of defensive stability, and offensive prowess to lead to the win over the Blue Angels on their own court. By taking the match 3 sets to 1, (25-11, 22-25, 25-12, and 25-23) the Rams did not let up after being tied 1 to 1 in the first two sets. After a tightly contested fourth set, the Rams managed to hold off the Blue Angels and send themselves home with the win. Overall, the incredible effort shown by the Rams to steal the fourth match played in 48 hours is something to look in of by itself by this Rams volleyball squad.

Key Performers:

• Junior, Middle Blocker Emily DiGiorgio clipped another high attacking percentage in this one with .389. She generated 17 kills on 34 total attacks, and only a mere 3 attacking errors.
• Hallie Fuglestad continued her dominance in the backcourt. The freshman libero carried the load for the Rams on the defensive side where she recorded her collegiate single-game career-high in digs with 31. This performance brought her total to an astounding 61 digs on the day.

Looking Ahead

After an action-packed weekend, the Rams volleyball program moves on to a +.500 record of 4-3 on the season. They will have a much needed break from matches this week, and will use the time as a tune-up for next weekend, where they have another match-filled two days. Next Friday (9/13), the Rams will travel back on the road to partake in the Rockford Invitational, hosted by Rockford University in Rockford, IL . They are set to face the Moodle Bible College Archers first at 6:00pm. Directly following, the Rams will take on the Rockford University Regents, with first service slated for 8:00pm. Look for information, graphics, and previews this week leading up to the Rockford Invitational matches on ncurams.com and all social media platforms. (Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook)