?The Aurora University volleyball team hosted the 2014 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) Tournament quarterfinal round on Tuesday, November 4 in Thornton Gymnasium with the Lakeland College Muskies being the opponent.

Hosting for only the second time in the nine seasons of the NACC Tournament, the Spartans and Muskies played a thrilling five set match with AU coming from behind to win the final three sets and the match 3-2 (20-25, 20-25, 25-21, 25-14, 15-13).

Lakeland jumped out to a 2-0 lead, controlling the tempo of the first two sets and putting the youthful Spartans on their heels. Lakeland junior libero Caleigh Galvan made life tough for the Spartan hitters while junior Jenna Ward provided the offense for the Muskies.

Down 2-0, AU Head Coach James Seitelman gave the Spartans an inspiring talk prior to the third set and his team responded. AU won the set 25-21 and got the energetic home crowd back into the contest.

AU carried the momentum into the fourth set and pulled away midway through the set for a convincing win. With the Spartans leading 15-11, sophomore libero Andrea Kappelman started the attack from the service line and then turned the game over to senior Lexi O'Boyle. O'Boyle held serve with AU leading 18-14 and would not give the service back to the visiting Muskies. The senior had three of her four service aces in the scoring run and had the home crowd on its feet going into the fifth and deciding set.

The fifth set saw both teams come out and show they were ont ready to have their respective season end. AU led 8-5 at the rotation. With the Spartans leading 12-9 and seemingly in control, Lakeland gave one last push, tying the game 13-13 and forcing a Spartan timeout. A sideout followed the timeout and the final point going to the Spartans off a Muskie hitting error and a 15-13 win.

Freshmen Alexis Hammond (13 kills and five block assists) and Brooke Pylant (12 kills and nine digs) led the offense with sophomore McKenzie Peyton adding 10 kills. The AU setting combination of O'Boyle (26 assists) and junior Destiny Stuersel (20 assists) paced the offense with Kappelman (19 digs), O'Boyle (15 digs), Stuersel (13 digs) and freshmen Bailey Brother (one solo and seven assisted blocks) and Nicole Kirsner (one solo and six assisted blocks) providing the defensive effort.