Morris, MN -- Friday, the North Central University (NCU) volleyball team headed to Morris, MN, for their first Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) road match of the year. The Rams entered tonight's match seeking their first conference win. Last season, Minnesota Morris took both regular-season meetings, and tonight the Rams looked to flip the script. Despite stretches of strong play, NCU fell in three straight sets. North Central was led by sophomore Gabbie Ruzek (8 kills, 14 digs), senior Maggie Kohl (8 kills, 1 ace), and freshman setter Abby Rhoades (18 assists). Senior libero Maci Tripp anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs.

Set 1: 25-13 | Set 2: 25-18 | Set 3: 25-21

The Rams opened with energy, trading points early and forcing two ties in the first set. Gabbie Ruzek and Maggie Kohl each found success attacking from the right and middle positions. However, unforced hitting errors by NCU gave the home side momentum midway through. The Rams managed just 9 kills while committing 9 errors, allowing their opponent to piece together multiple scoring runs, including a 7-1 surge that broke the set open. Maci Tripp kept the defense organized with several key digs, but the deficit proved too much as the Rams dropped the opener 25-13.

North Central showed resilience in the second frame, keeping the score tight through the opening rallies. Abby Rhoades distributed the ball well, connecting with Maizy Sundblad and Brianna Brown for quick swings. Still, the Rams struggled offensively, producing just 6 kills against 9 errors for a negative hitting percentage. Despite defensive coverage from Tripp and strong net play from Kohl, the Rams were unable to counter an extended 6-0 run by their opponent that pushed the set out of reach. NCU battled to 18 points, their highest mark in the game at that mark, before falling 25-18.

The third set saw NCU's most balanced attack of the night, as Ruzek and Kohl combined for 9 kills while Brown added timely swings from the outside. The Rams also capitalized on improved efficiency, hitting .167 with 13 kills and just 6 errors. Sundblad and Rhoades kept the offense moving, while Tripp dug deep in the back row to extend rallies. NCU led or tied on multiple occasions, forcing six deadlocks in the set. A late push, however, tilted the momentum away from the Rams as their opponent closed with an 8-3 scoring run to seal the match.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, NCU Volleyball travels to St. Bonifacius for another UMAC match against Crown College tomorrow, October 4th. That game is scheduled for 12:00 PM. 

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