Ankeny, IA -- Saturday, North Central University (NCU) Volleyball competed on day two of the Faith Baptist Volleyball Classic tournament hosted by Faith Baptist. Yesterday, the Rams defeated Crown College in four sets to kick off the weekend. Today, the Rams faced off against the Maranatha Baptist University MBU) Sabercats and the hosting in Faith Baptist Bible College (FBBC) Eagles. The Rams split games today, defeating MBU in four sets before falling to FBBC in the nightcap. Several Rams had standout performances, including senior middle hitter Maggie Kohl, who tallied a team-leading 18 kills, and freshman setter Abby Rhoades, who guided the offense with steady setting and effective defensive coverage.

Game One Recap:

Set 1: 25-18 | Set 2: 25-15 | Set 3: 8-25 | Set 4: 25-19

NCU came out strong in the opener, riding efficient swings from Maggie Kohl and Gabbie Ruzek to build momentum early. The Rams capitalized on errors from their opponent while forcing play at the net, with Lexie Semrau adding timely kills. The Rams secured the set 25-18.

Freshman Autumn Kaczmarek sparked the Rams in set two with sharp hitting from the outside, while Abby Rhoades distributed the ball effectively to keep the defense off balance. Strong back-row play from libero Maci Tripp limited the opponent's rallies, helping the Rams pull away for a 25-15 win.

Momentum shifted as North Central struggled with unforced errors, recording nine attack miscues in the third frame. Despite Kohl's efforts at the net, the Rams could not keep pace and dropped the set 8-25.

Head Coach Jessica Curry, had the Rams refocused after the intermission. NCU closed out the match behind the consistent setting of Rhoades and powerful swings from Kohl, who reached double-digit kills. Maizy Sundblad and Tatum Olson combined for key service runs to break the set open, and Semrau added a block at the net to seal the victory. The Rams took the set 25-19 and the match 3-1.

Game Two Recap: 

Set 1: 21-25 | Set 2: 16-25 | Set 3: 25-13 | Set 4: 15-25

The Rams faced an aggressive serving Faith Baptist squad in the nightcap and found themselves battling from behind. Maggie Kohl and Maizy Sundblad kept NCU in the set with steady attacking, but a late surge by the hosts closed it out 25-21.

NCU had difficulty sustaining its offense in the second frame, hitting just .029 as a team. Despite senior Maci Tripp's defensive coverage and Gabbie Ruzek's energy on the right side, the Rams dropped the set 16-25.

North Central came alive in the third with their most efficient hitting performance of the day. Kohl and Sundblad each contributed multiple kills, while Semrau controlled the net with a pair of blocks. NCU surged ahead and never looked back, winning 25-13.

In the decisive fourth, NCU stayed close early behind the setting of Tatum Olson and defensive play from Tripp, but the Eagles pulled away late with efficient swings and strong blocking. The Rams fell 15-25, dropping the match in four sets.

Looking Ahead:

Next week, volleyball kicks off Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) play as they host the University of Wisconsin-Superior and the University of Northwestern in a doubleheader next Saturday, September 27th at 1:00 PM and 5:00 PM. 

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