Minneapolis, MN -- The North Central University (NCU) volleyball team remained at home this evening to face the Crown College (CC) Polars. The Rams celebrated Senior Night as they recognized their four seniors in Hailey Lerfald, Katie Martin, Jada Lee, and Grace Brigson. In the previous match against the Crown, the Rams dealt the Polars three winless sets, with a final score of 3-0 in St. Bonifacius. Tonight, NCU sacrificed a set win to the Polars, but ultimately the Rams were able to come out on top, winning the game 3-1. Senior setter Grace Brigsin was phenomenal with a career-high 50 assists and 14 digs. Sophomore Sydney Carlson also had a sensational performance with 21 kills, 9 digs, and 2 total blocks. With this win, North Central Volleyball clinches the #4 seed in this year's UMAC Postseason Tournament for the first time in program history. 

The first set began with the Polars taking an early 4-2 advantage. However, North Central quickly responded with a series of kills from Sydney Carlson, closing the gap to take the lead at 10-8. The scoring remained consistent from both competitors, however key kills from senior Hailey Lerfald and freshman Erica Tormanen gave the Rams the momentum they needed to come out on top of the first set. A final score of 25-21 for the Rams concluded set one. NCu racked up 20 total kills on a .311 hitting percentage. 

Set number two started out in North Central's favor. A service ace from Maci Tripp set up North Central for another successful rally with key plays from numerous players. Crown continued to fight, but the Rams' offense, led by Grace Brigson and Erica Tormanen kept the battle on their side. A series of kills from Hailey Lerfald and Ari Klein helped extend North Central's lead to 20-10. Crown struggled to get anything going as the Rams took set two by a final of  25-13.

The third set of the match was electric from the start, with a solid offensive push from NCU during the first several volleys leading to a 5-1 advantage. Both teams continued to battle, trading points and rallies. Despite the defensive efforts from the Rams, the Polars regained momentum and eventually tied the set at 18-18. The final stretch was a dramatic back-and-forth, with the teams trading points until NCU got it to match-point at 24-23. With their backs up against the wall, the Polars rattled off 3 straight kills to spoil the Senior Night sweep at 26-24.

The fourth and final set was marked by a strong start from the Rams, opening things up at 5-1. Crown hung in there until North Central pulled away about halfway through the set. North Central went on a 6-0 aided by two aces from senior captain Katie Martin and some poor ball handling by CC. The Polars struggled with errors, including bad sets and attack mistakes, which gave North Central several easy points. Ultimately, NCU saw a victory in the fourth set, with help from senior Jada Lee who also served back-to-back service aces down the stretch. The match concluded with the Rams defeating the Polars 3-1.

Looking Ahead:

The Rams will stay home to host the UM-Morris Cougars for their final home game of the regular season. The game is slated for Saturday, November 9th at 1:00 PM. The Rams will then make a trip to St. Paul to face the Northwestern Eagles tomorrow evening, bringing a close to the regular season. This game is scheduled for November 9th at 5:00 PM.

All fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on Rams Volleyball and all things NCU Athletics.