Minneapolis, MN -- Saturday, North Central University (NCU) Volleyball hosted its first UMAC contests of the season on home hardwood at the Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. The Rams were set to face two tough conference games versus the University of Wisconsin-Superior (UWS) Yellowjackets and the University of Northwestern (UNW) Eagles. Despite hard-fought rallies and late pushes, NCU came up short in both matches. Several Rams stepped up with strong individual performances across the day, showcasing grit and growth against two of the league's top teams. The day was highlighted by senior libero Maci Tripp surpassing the 1,000 career digs milestone. 

Game One Recap:

Set 1: 25-17 | Set 2: 25-20 | Set 3: 25-17

The Rams came out with energy in the opener, with freshman Autumn Kaczmarek and sophomore Gabbie Ruzek providing steady swings on the outside. NCU forced extended rallies and traded points midway through the frame, but Superior's size at the net tilted momentum late, pulling away to close the set 25-17.

Set two saw NCU's offense begin to click. Maggie Kohl and Ruzek combined for timely kills, while setter Tatum Olson spread the ball effectively, adding an ace of her own. NCU trimmed a five-point deficit to just two late in the set, but UW-Superior's attack efficiency kept them ahead. The Rams fell narrowly, 25-20.

In the third, the Rams once again showed fight, highlighted by freshman Abby Rhoades at the service line with three aces in the match and senior captain Lexie Semrau posting key touches at the net. Despite pushing points deep into rallies, the Yellowjacket hitters maintained a sharp .241 attack percentage compared to NCU's .057, sealing the sweep with a 25-17 final.

Game Two Recap: 

Set 1: 25-11 | Set 2: 25-11 | Set 3: 25-23

In game two, NCU found themselves on their heels early. Northwestern's offense ran with near-perfect efficiency, while the Rams struggled to find rhythm. Freshmen Maizy Sundblad and Tatum Olson provided brief sparks from the service line, but UNW controlled the tempo from start to finish, taking set one 25-11.

The second frame saw North Central attempt to regroup. Autumn Kaczmarek tallied a pair of kills, and Maci Tripp anchored the back row with strong defensive touches. Despite the push, Northwestern's block and hitting percentage (.591) left little margin, and the Rams dropped the set by the same 25-11 score.

The Rams showed their best volleyball of the day in set three. NCU jumped ahead early behind Gabbie Ruzek's consistent right-side attack and a string of serves from Abby Rhoades that disrupted UNW's passing. The teams traded 10 lead changes in a thrilling back-and-forth battle. NCU led 21-20 late, but the Eagles strung together a final 5-2 run to narrowly edge the Rams, 25-23.

Looking Ahead:

Up next, NCU hits the road once more for another UMAC match against the University of Minnesota Morris next Friday, October 3rd, 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.