Minneapolis / St. Bonifacius, MN -- This Saturday, North Central University (NCU) Volleyball was back in action as they prepared for two matches. The Rams first hosted the Kuyper College (MI) Cougars and then traveled to St. Bonifacius for their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) contest against the Crown College (CC) Polars. NCU took care of business in both matches, winning 3-0 as they have yet to lose a set in 2024. Sydney Carlson put forth a great offensive showing with 25 kills and senior Grace Brigson was the ultimate floor general with 60 total assists on the day.

Game One Recap:

The Rams would find themselves down 4-0 early in this one after numerous attack errors. NCU would eventually battle back to make it a back and forth game. At 10-11, North Central went on a 5-0 run sparked by 2 service aces by senior captain Katie Martin. The Rams continued their strong play from behind the service line as Jada Lee tallied two service aces of her own to propel NCU to a 25-14 set victory. North Central jumped out to a 7-2 lead early in the second set. Senior Grace Brigson recorded an impressive 4 service aces in set number two. NCU had a balanced attack in kills from their big three of Haley Lerfald (6), Lexie Semrau (6), and Sydney Carlson (5) throughout the game. The final set featured some new faces from the Rams, as Coach Faith Ooms appeared to be resting some started for their later match. Freshman Gabbie Ruzek had an impressive showing off the bench, totaling 5 kills with a .444 hitting percentage. NCU defeated Kuyper College in 3 sets to remain undefeated. Setter Grace Brigson set a career-high 42 assists in the game. 

Game Two Recap: 

The Rams came out hot with two back-to-back Sydney Carlson Kills off set assists from Grace Brigson. The Polars, however, did not shy away as they were able to tie the set at 9-all. Carlson and Hailey Lerfald were a dynamic duo in the first set as they racked up a total of 14 kills. The end of the first set included two set points, where a kill from Lexie Semrau would ultimately seal it. In the second set, NCU dominated from the first serve as they took a commanding 9-0 lead. Maci Tripp's effective serving resulted in 2 service aces and numerous bad touches on the part of the Polars. Although they were able to string some points together, Crown would not be able to fight their way back into contention and the Rams took set two 25-20. Set three went back and forth throughout. With the Rams holding a narrow 16-15 lead, North Central went on a 9-3 run to seal the game. 

Looking Ahead:

Up next, NCU Volleyball will play host to the Minneapolis Invite Tournament on Friday, September 6th. The Rams will face Trinity Bible College at 3:00pm and Faith Baptist Bible College at 7:00pm. 

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.