MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. -- North Central University (NCU) volleyball hit the road across the Twin Cities on Saturday afternoon to compete in their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) contest of the 2021 spring season. In a matchup against the University of Northwestern (UNW) Eagles who went into the game having already played 16 games compared to NCU's one, the Rams were edged in three straight sets (19-25, 12-25, 14-25).

Game Recap

North Central came out in the first set battling with the perennial powerhouse. Through the first 13 points recorded, the Rams jumped out to an early lead 9 to 4. Back-to-back aces by Hannah Fischer (Kenyon, MN, Kenyon Wanamingo High School) was instrumental in the Rams' offensive attack through the first few services. An assisted block to give North Central their eighth point of the game was tallied in a joint effort by Holly Schendel (Kilkenny, MN, Tri-City United High School) and Jaselyn Anderson (Farmington, MN, Christian Life Academy). After finding themselves up on the Eagles early on, the Rams held tightly onto the lead until the Eagles tied it at 12 all. Several lead changes throughout the remainder of the set fueled what would be a race to 25. Down the stretch the Eagles managed to convert on several attacks from their strong outside hitters, ultimately allowing them to run away with the first set. The Eagles recorded eight total errors while North Central only tallied one during the set.

The second and third sets were much more short-lived for the Rams. Unable to hold the Eagles' outside hitters from attacking, NCU could not get the momentum swung back in their favor. The second set saw the Rams jump out to another early lead 5 to 2, but it did not hold for long as UNW converted on eight straight kills halfway through the set. The Eagles held onto the lead in the entire third set, allowing them to cruise away with the victory.

Key Performers

• Karlee Martinez (Woodbury, MN, St. Croix Central High School) recorded 10 assists for the Rams in addition to two service aces.
• True freshman Makayla Krohnberg (Blaine, MN, Blaine High School) led the NCU scoring attack, finishing with eight kills and a .350 attacking percentage.

Looking Ahead

North Central volleyball will look to bounce-back from their now 0-2 overall (0-1 UMAC) record in their next matchup. Next Thursday the Rams will enjoy being back on their home floor as they take on the College of St. Scholastica (CSS) Saints in their second UMAC contest of the season. As a continued reminder, no fans will be allowed to be in attendance in Clark-Danielson Gymnasium due to institutional COVID-19 protocols. Fans are encouraged to tune in to the game by watching the live video broadcast located here while staying up-to-date with game information located on official NCU Rams social media.