WAUKESHA, Wis. - Balance.
That seemingly simple characteristic made a lasting, hard-hitting impact as the Carroll University women's volleyball team swept North Central 25-21, 25-19, 25-23 in a College Conference of Illinois-Wisconsin dual meet at Van Male Field House on Tuesday evening.
It was the first conference victory and fifth sweep of the season for Carroll, which snapped a three-match losing streak to improve to 1-5 in the league standings and  7-17 overall.
The Pioneers, who won their third home-court dual of the year, showcased their depth, athleticism and mental toughness throughout the contest - aggressively finishing all three sets with authority.
That point was perfectly exemplified as Carroll trailed 22-21 in the decisive third game but battled back with a tenacious 4-1 run to complete the sweep.
The critical, pressure-packed run was propelled by a game-tying kill from the left side by freshman outside hitter Cassidy Mrotek (Manitowoc, Wis.), two service aces by freshman outside hitter Kylie Mueller (Fox Lake, Ill.) and a thunderous, meet-clinching left-handed cross-court spike by junior outside hitter Dana Voltolina (St. Charles, Ill.).
"We really played well as a team tonight and did a nice job of figuring out how to stop their runs at key times," said freshman setter Emma Przeslicke (Evergreen Park, Ill.) who finished with 15 assists and two aces. "It's something we've really worked hard on in practice so it was great to see it carry over into the match. We were quicker than normal, fought for every point and played with a lot of confidence the entire time. Everyone continued to jell as the match progressed and contributed to the victory."
Mueller was a force throughout the competition by contributing a team-high 10 kills (including four kills in the pivotal second set), six digs, three aces and a block to lead an inspired, balanced attack for the Pioneers, who amassed nine aces and committed only 11 errors. 
Voltolina followed with eight kills, Mrotek contributed seven kills and seven digs, freshman middle blocker Erika Dunnam (Shawano, Wis.) had seven kills, sophomore libero Rachel Harn (Freeport, Ill.) had 19 digs and three aces with freshman setter Jennilyn Joy Cave (Bolingbrook, Ill.) adding 19 assists.
Sophomore outside hitter Josie Wierzal (Frankfort, Ill.) was quick to point out that earning the first victory in the CCIW was an important confidence builder.
Wierzal had two critical kills and a block in the momentum-building opening set, highlighted by a key spike to extend the lead to 16-13.
"Coming in, we knew it was a big match and really tried to prepare ourselves for the challenge by staying focused," said Wierzal, one of 11 sophomores on the roster this season. "During the third game, we fought every step of the way and gave everything that we could out there. It was just nice be a part of the experience and see everyone come together to get an important victory."
Carroll head coach Becca Saal was proud of the way her team maintained its intensity throughout the evening.
"We realized that the first conference victory was going to be the most difficult of them all so this should act as a great confidence booster," said Saal, noting her squad's hard-fought comeback late in the third game. "It was a team effort across the board where everyone stepped up, worked hard to eliminate mistakes and made a positive contribution to the victory.
"Being a young team that is still getting used to playing collegiate volleyball, I was very happy with how we responded to the pressure and came back in the final game to close out the match. This experience should serve as a great motivator and continue to help in our progression. It was just a great night."
Junior outside hitter Cara Howell finished with a meet-high 12 kills and freshman middle hitter Sarah Geosling had 11 kills for North Central, which dropped to 0-4 in conference and 13-11 overall.