The Aurora University women's volleyball team needed five thrilling sets to survive and advance in the 2023 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament on Thursday night against the visiting Green Knights of St. Norbert College. An energetic crowd inside Thornton Gymnasium was treated to some intense well played volleyball between two of the top teams in the NACC. AU would hold on to win in five sets with scores of 23-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10. AU was paced by double-doubles from Dani Lauer (14 kills and 16 digs) and Lulu Torres (19 kills and 20 digs) while Hannah Joseph had 61 assists.


MATCH SCORE: Aurora University 3, St. Norbert College 2 (23-25, 25-14, 20-25, 25-19, 15-10)
LOCATION: Lancaster Court in Thornton Gymnasium - Aurora, Illinois
RECORD: Aurora University 21-10 overall and 12-1 in the NACC


- AU opened up a 4-1 lead behind three kills from Lulu Torres to start the first set and St. Norbert called a quick timeout.
- The visitors then ran off a 12-2 run to lead the Spartans 13-6.
- The Spartans calmly chipped away and got the score within one multiple times late in the set including 24-23 but would fall 25-23.
- The opening set would set the tone for the night to come with the intense back and forth between the teams.
- Six Spartans led by five from Torres collected kills in the first set.
- AU would never trail in the second set and led 21-10 and would win 25-14.
- Spartan setter Hannah Joseph dished out 14 assists to the veteran AU attackers of Torres (six), Kate Poellmann (four), Celeste Cozzoni (three) and Dani Lauer (two).
- The third set saw the Spartans lead just once at 2-1 and while keeping the score close would fall 25-20.
- Poellmann, Lauer and Cozzoni each had three kills in the third set.
- The fourth set was back and forth with the score tied 10-10 before the Spartans began to pull away.
- AU turned to Torres who hammered four kills and added an ace as the Spartans led 16-12.
- Aided by some Green Knight attack errors, the Spartans built on the lead and would win 25-19 to set up the winner take all fifth set.
- Poellmann led the Spartans with six kills in the fourth set while Lauer had five.
- The fifth set started with some confusion on the St. Norbert side of the court with the opening server and rotation which resulted in a timeout called with SNC leading 1-0.
- Coming out of a timeout by Coach Seitelman trailing 6-4, the Spartans rallied quickly.
- A 4-0 Spartan run with an ace from Cozzoni for the AU crowd going as the teams switched courts at 8-6.
- SNC tied the score 8-8 but the Spartans never wavered and out-scored the Green Knights 7-2 down the stretch.
- The final two kills came off the right hand of Lulu Torres as AU was victorious 15-10 and won the match 3-2.
- AU hit .444 in the fifth set victory and advanced in the NACC tournament.


KILLS: Lulu Torres (19), Kate Poellmann (17), Dani Lauer (14) and Celeste Cozzoni (9)
ASSISTS: Hannah Joseph (61)
DIGS: Lulu Torres (20), Hannah Evenson (18) and Dani Lauer (16)
ACES: Katelyn Ruse (2)
BLOCKS: Riley Moreno (5), Celeste Cozzoni and Kate Poellmann (3)


Next action for the Spartan women's volleyball team comes on Saturday, November 11 when they travel to Edgewood College in the championship game of the 2023 Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament. Opening serve is slated for 12:00 p.m. in Madison, Wisconsin.