Superior, WI -- Friday, North Central University (NCU) Volleyball hopped on the road to head north for a Halloween conference matchup with the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) Yellowjackets. The Rams entered the contest looking to build off strong recent performances and continue developing momentum as the regular season nears its close. Despite a hard-fought effort and stretches of inspired play, NCU fell in three sets to one of the league's top teams. Freshman setter Abby Rhoades led the Rams offensively with five kills and 12 assists, while senior libero Maci Tripp anchored the defense with 12 digs.

Set 1: 25-12 | Set 2: 25-11 | Set 3: 25-21

North Central opened the night trading points early before UWS found its rhythm behind a few scoring runs. Freshman Tatum Olson and sophomore Gabbie Ruzek helped spark NCU's offense with early kills, while setter Rhoades kept the attack balanced with well-placed sets to the pins. Senior Maggie Kohl added a service ace midway through the frame, but unforced errors and a strong blocking front from the opponent allowed the home side to pull away late. The Rams showed solid defensive effort in the back row but dropped the opener 25-12.

In the second set, the Rams continued to battle through long rallies. Brianna Brown and Lexie Semrau each contributed key kills to keep NCU within striking distance early, while Maci Tripp made several timely digs to extend possessions. Despite improved defensive coverage, North Central struggled to find consistency on offense, committing 9 errors while recording just 5 kills in the frame. A late surge by the Yellowjackets closed out the set 25-11.

The Rams regrouped and produced their strongest performance of the night in the third. Rhoades and Olson directed a composed offensive effort that saw North Central tally 14 kills, their highest set total in three games. Kaczmarek and Kohl each recorded a kill during a 5-1 run that gave them their largest lead of the evening at 10-6. The Rams' energy and defensive poise kept the crowd engaged as Tripp and Maia Scheffler helped fend off several attacks in the back row. Despite the late push, NCU's rally came up short as the Yellowjackets sealed the set 25-21.

Looking Ahead:

Next week, the Rams return home to host Martin Luther College on Friday, November 7th, for Senior Night inside Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for 7:00 PM in Minneapolis.

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.