ST. PAUL, Minn. -- For the second straight evening, the North Central University (NCU) Volleyball team battled a tough Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) foe. This time it was the University of Northwestern (UNW) Eagles who entered the week as the 17th ranked team in the country according to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Coach's Poll. Northwestern was locked in from the start, but the Rams gave them all they had. NCU did everything they could to push the match to four sets, but could not quite finish the job in set number two and fell to the impressive Eagles squad in three sets. (9-25, 21-25, 7-25).
Game Recap
Northwestern tried to set the tone from the first serve, but it was the Rams who forced a back and forth battle for the first couple of points. After settling in and finding some rhythm, the Eagles go into a grove in set number one behind a loud home crowd. UNW used two separate surges of five straight points to put themselves in the driver's seat in set number one as they cruised to a 25-9 victory.
Determined to compete, the Rams came out with some fire in set number two. With momentum up for grabs midway through the set, NCU seemed to potentially have a hold on it after stealing a 16-14 lead, but the Eagles fired right back with an answer of their own in the form of four straight points. The Rams hung in there winning a few more points to keep it close, but the Eagles closed the door on the set on back-to-back points. UNW carried their momentum into, what proved to be the final set of the match, sealing the deal behind an eight straight point outburst.
Key Performers
Looking Ahead
The Rams will have almost a week off as they prepare for their next contest. NCU will be back in Minneapolis all of next weekend as they play host to Bethany Lutheran College and Martin Luther College in a two game UMAC home stand. All fans are encouraged to follow official Rams
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