ELMHURST, Ill. – The Elmhurst volleyball team, upped its CCIW record to 5-1 on the season with a three-set win over North Central College.
 
Elmhurst improved to 18-9 overall with the 25-14, 25-21, 25-22 win while North Central fell to 13-12 overall and 0-5 in the CCIW.
 
The Bluejays started quickly in the opening set, building a quick 10-4 lead and forcing North Central to burn a timeout. The Bluejays continued to pull away, extending their lead to nine points at 19-10 before finishing the set with a score of 25-14. Elmhurst pounded down 17 kills in the first set while hitting .310.
 
Elmhurst built a 17-13 lead late in the second set forcing the Cardinals to call a timeout. North Central answered back with a 5-0 run to take an 18-17 lead. Trailing by one at 20-19, Elmhurst rattled off three straight points to grab a 22-20 lead and force the Cardinals to burn their second timeout.  Leading 23-21 the Bluejays used a kill from Alli Rogers and a block from Hannah Davis to end the set at 25-22.
 
Elmhurst built a quick 5-0 lead in the third behind the serve of Hannah Nimrick, but the Cardinals came back with the next three points to pull to within two. The Bluejays responded by winning the next four points, building a 9-3 lead and forcing North Central to take its first timeout. Elmhurst pushed its lead up to eight points at 11-3, but a 5-1 run from North Central brought the Cardinals to within four points and forced the Bluejays to burn a timeout. Elmhurst pushed its lead back to eight points at 17-9, but North Central slowly chipped away, closing to within three at 22-19 before Elmhurst burned its second timeout. The Cardinals came as close as two points at 23-21, but kills from Hannah Davis and Mary Lawrence ended the set and the match for the Bluejays at 25-22.
 
Elmhurst finished the contest hitting .250 with 47 kills and 17 errors in in 120 swings. Lawrence powered the Bluejays in the win with 12 kills and four blocks. Davis added 10 kills and three bocks while Rogers tallied eight kills and seven digs. Mel Lundin added seven kills while Melissa Nava finished with six. Nimrick tallied 29 assists, eight digs and three blocks in the victory while Amy Schryver led the team in digs with 11.
 
Rachel Elshoff, Anna Billman and Julie Laugel led North Central with six kills apiece. Ashley Powers added 12 assists for the Cardinals in the loss.
 
Elmhurst plays at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater Invitational on Saturday, October 22.