Ankeny, IA -- On Saturday afternoon, North Central University (NCU) Volleyball was back in action for day two of the Faith Baptist Volleyball Classic from Ankeny, Iowa. After an impressive 2-0 start on day one, the Rams picked up right where they left off. NCU jumped out of the gate taking a 25-15 set 1 win and cruised to a 3-0 match win over Maranatha Baptist to start the day. In game two, a set-one thriller comeback win sparked a 3-set sweep over the Eagles of Faith Baptist. 

Game One Recap:

Nana Lopez produced 12 kills in yesterday afternoon's victory over Trinity Bible and she was locked in from the first serve in today's matchup with the Sabercats of Maranatha. Lopez produced 4 kills in the first 10 points of set one to help the Rams jump out to a 10-3 set lead. NCU never looked back, running away with a 25-15 win in set one. However, the Sabercats did not go away quietly as they pushed back and forth in the early going of set number two, tightening things to a 13-11 lead for the Rams. It was two big kills by sophomore Catherine Johnson that really broke open the second set for the Rams and propelled them to another set victory. In set number three, the Rams displayed an impressive team attack with 5 different Rams producing at least one kill. Leading the way was Nana Lopez who finished with 5 kills in the final frame including the set point that resulted in a 3-0 match win for the Rams. 

Game Two Recap: 

After battling back and forth in the early stages, North Central trailed through much of the first set. However, trailing 15-7, a big kill by freshman Ari Klein sparked an 8-2 run to cut it to within two. Faith Baptist had an answer as they rallied their way to a 24-19 set point. NCU would not be denied as the Rams' senior captains Hailey Lerfald and Grace Brigson took over. Lerfald totaled 3 kills and Brigson had 2 kills and 3 assists to win the nailbiting first set 29-27. The second set would be a grueling battle as well. Freshman Erica Tormanen got in on the action with three big kills to swing the momentum in North Central's favor. Hailey Lerfald continued to command the center of the net with 4 more kills added to her total. Three straight NCU kills closed out set two with a 25-20 victory. The Rams came out motivated in the third with a 7-2 lead from the jump. Sophomore Sydney Carlson dominated the final set with 5 kills to lead the Rams to a 25-15 set win and a 3-0 match win over Faith Baptist. 

Looking Ahead:

Up next, NCU will travel to Mankato to take on the Bethany Lutheran College Vikings as they resume Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) action. This match is scheduled for Friday, September 27th at 7:00 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.