Minneapolis, MN – North Central University (NCU) Volleyball returned to Clark-Danielson Gymnasium Friday night for a conference matchup with the Crown College (CC) Polars. The Rams entered the contest still searching for their first conference victory of the season. Earlier this year, the Rams defeated the Polars in the Faith Baptist Volleyball Classic, but fell in the first official conference meeting of the year. Tonight, North Central battled through multiple momentum swings to secure a hard-earned 3-2 victory, their sixth win overall and first in league play. Freshman outside hitter Autumn Kaczmarek led the way with a career-high 12 kills while senior middle hitter Maggie Kohl and sophomore right-side hitter Gabbie Ruzek each tallied 11. Freshman setter Abby Rhoades directed the offense with a career-high 23 assists and 5 aces, while senior libero Maci Tripp anchored the defense with 18 digs.

Set 1: 25-18 | Set 2: 9-25 | Set 3: 15-17 | Set 4: 21-25 | Set 5: 15-12

North Central came out strong, quickly establishing control behind efficient swings from Kaczmarek and Kohl. The Rams' offensive rhythm helped them open up an early lead, while their defensive consistency kept the visitors at bay. Rhoades distributed the ball well, allowing multiple hitters to find their rhythm as NCU hit .286 in the opening frame. A late push from the Rams, capped off by a well-placed kill from Ruzek, sealed the first set 25-18.

Momentum swung drastically in the second set as North Central struggled to find its offensive groove. Service errors and attack miscues allowed the Polars to pull ahead early. Despite a few bright moments from sophomore outside hitter Brianna Brown, who contributed a pair of kills late in the set, NCU couldn't overcome the deficit and dropped the second frame 25-9.

The Rams responded immediately, displaying resilience and renewed focus in the third set. Rhoades sparked the offense with back-to-back service aces to start the frame, while Kohl and Kaczmarek powered through the block for key points. NCU's front line tightened up defensively, with senior Lexie Semrau contributing a block assist and smart net play to slow down the opposing attack. The Rams capitalized on extended rallies and closed out the set behind a 7-1 scoring run to win 25-17.

Both sides traded points in a highly competitive fourth set that featured five lead changes. Brown and Ruzek continued to find holes in the defense, but Crown managed to string together a late 5-0 run to pull away. Despite solid back-row efforts from Tripp and freshman defensive specialist Maia Scheffler, the Rams came up just short, falling 25-21.

With the match on the line, North Central regrouped and delivered when it mattered most. Kaczmarek and Kohl combined for clutch kills early to set the tone, and Rhoades once again came up big from the service line. NCU's composure shined through down the stretch as Tripp's defense kept plays alive and Semrau finished the decisive rally with a kill off the block. NCU sealed the set 15-12, capturing their first conference win of the season in dramatic fashion.

Looking Ahead:

Next week, the Rams will remain at home to take on the University of Minnesota Morris tomorrow, Saturday, October 25th, with first serve scheduled for 1:00 PM at the Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. The Rams then travel to the University of Northwestern (MN) to take on the Eagles at 5:00 PM in the Ericksen Center Gymnasium.

As always, all fans are encouraged to tune into the official Rams Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter (X) pages for updates on women's volleyball and all things NCU Athletics.