Minneapolis, MN -- Saturday, North Central University (NCU) Volleyball continued into day two of their annual Minneapolis Invite Tournament at Clark-Danielson Gymnasium. Today's slate included matchups with the Great Lakes Christian College (GLCC) Crusaders from Lansing, Michigan, and the Free Lutheran Bible College (FLBC) Conquerors from Plymouth, Minnesota. The Rams cruised to back-to-back sweeps, improving to 3-1 on the season.

Game One Recap:

Set 1: 25-21 | Set 2: 25-23 | Set 3: 25-19

North Central started strong behind senior Maggie Kohl, who recorded a match-high 12 kills. The Rams weathered early pressure thanks to composed serve receive and back-row coverage from Maci Tripp (10 digs) and freshman Allina Mendoza (8 digs). Brianna Brown chipped in 8 kills while Tatum Olson distributed the offense with 19 assists. A late 4-1 run, capped by a kill from Gabbie Ruzek, secured the opening frame.

In the closest set of the match, North Central and Great Lakes exchanged leads five times. The Rams managed their most efficient hitting of the match in this frame (.171) despite some unforced errors. Freshman Maizy Sundblad made key contributions off the bench with 2 service aces. Defensive hustle from Maia Scheffler and Abby Rhoades helped the Rams dig out of tight spots and push past the Crusaders.

With momentum in their favor, North Central limited the opponent to a .000 attack percentage in set three while tallying 14 more kills themselves. Kohl and Brown continued to pace the offense while Olson and Rhoades combined for 17 assists. Sunblad added 4 timely kills, helping the Rams pull away late to seal the sweep. 

Game Two Recap: 

Set 1: 25-17 | Set 2: 25-22 | Set 3: 25-16

North Central jumped out to a fast start, capitalizing on a flurry of early errors by Free Lutheran, who hit -.029 in the opening frame. The Rams benefited from efficient offense once again by Maggie Kohl (.364 hitting percentage), who racked up 11 kills overall. Captain Maci Tripp anchored the back row with 12 digs while Maia Scheffler added 8 of her own. A service ace from Kohl gave the Rams the final point.

The second frame proved to be the most competitive of the day. The teams traded 10 ties and 4 lead changes, but North Central held steady. Maizy Sundblad played a critical role with 3 kills and 4 digs, while Tatum Olson notched 16 assists on the match and helped control the tempo. Despite a late rally from Free Lutheran, the Rams held on.

North Central closed the door quickly in set number three. They posted a .167 hitting percentage while holding their opponents to just 3 kills and a -.143 efficiency. Brown (8 kills) and Kohl (2 aces) continued to lead the charge. The Rams sealed the deal on an emphatic block and took the match.


Looking Ahead:

The NCU Rams will travel to Moorhead, MN, to compete in the Concordia Triangular next Saturday, September 13th. They'll take on the University of Wisconsin-Stout at 3:00 PM and Concordia College-Moorhead at 5:00 PM. 

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