MINNEAPOLIS, Minn.– The Northland College Volleyball team fell short in its Upper Midwest Athletic Conference 0-3 (17-25, 15-25, 23-25) against North Central University Saturday night in Minneapolis, Minn.
 
To start the match Northland matched the pace of NCU with Britta Josephson connecting on two kills and Leah Allan with one to make the early score 7-6 in favor of the Rams. As North Central would go on small rallies Northland would keep them in its sights. After trailing by five Northland closed the gap to 14-15 with help from a Kennedy Gruhlke service ace. The Rams extended their lead with a five-point run and would pull away to take set one 25-17.
 
The LumberJills started off set two with a block from Allan and Lily Zapp. Northland built on the early momentum going up 6-3 with a pair of aces from Allan and a kill from Kodie Rempp. After another kill from Rempp, the Jills had a four-point advantage. NCU tied up the set scoring on four points in a row but Northland responded with a three-point rally capped off with a kill by Ellison DeZwarte. The Rams strung to together more runs to take the lead and to close out the set they scored 12 of the last 14 points.
 
Just like in set two Northland went off early with DeZwarte, Allan, Rempp, and Josephson all recording kills to build a four-point lead. After a pair of kills by Josephson and one from DeZwarte Northland had its largest lead of the match at 13-7. The Jills could not hold that lead as the Rams would go on a nine-point rally to take the lead. The lead changed hands again after Zapp connected on an attack to put NC up 19-18. Another lead change and North Central was two points away from taking the match. Allan scored on back-to-back points to cut the lead to one but after trading the next three points the Rams won 25-23.
 
The LumberJills tallied 25 kills on the match with Allan leading the way with 10, Josephson finished two behind with eight. Rempp and DeZwarte accounted for three kills each and Zapp chipped in one. Rempp assisted on 16 of the kills. Northland recorded four service aces with Allan and Gruhlke scoring off the serve twice.
 
Defensively, Josephson paced Northland with 18 digs, her fourth match in double figures. Allan and Gruhlke ended the match with nine and seven respectively and Hannah Peel and Hannah Fisher rounded out the top five with six. The Jills matched their season-high of four blocks with DeZwarte (1s,1a), Allan (2a), and Zapp (2a) leading the team with two. Rempp also got in on an assisted block.
 
Northland will take on No. 12 the University of Northwestern tomorrow (Saturday) at 11 a.m., in St. Paul, Minn.
 
Northland College is an NCAA Division III institution located in Ashland, WI. The LumberJacks and LumberJills sponsor 14 varsity sports and compete in the Upper Midwest Athletic Conference, Midwest Lacrosse Conference, and the Wisconsin Intercollegiate Athletic Conference.