DE PERE – St. Norbert College opened the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference Tournament with a 3-0 win over Marian University at Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center.
 
The Green Knights (19-11) topped the Sabres (15-14) by scores of 25-20, 25-21, 25-23. St. Norbert, the No. 3 seeding, advances to played No. 2 seeding Aurora University in a semifinal match at 7 p.m. Thursday in Aurora, Ill.
 
Neither team could pull away in Set 1, with Marian taking an early 6-3 lead before the Green Knights rebounded to take a 16-13 lead. Marian got to within 20-18 but St. Norbert got some breathing room with a 23-18 lead behind kills from Brooke Clement and Rylie Gregg. A Gregg kill closed out the opening set.
 
Marian jumped out to a 5-2 lead in Set 2 until St. Norbert went on a 5-2 run of its own to tie it at 7-7. The Green Knights eventually built a 19-15 lead before the Sabres came again, going on a 5-0 run to take a 20-19 lead. The set was level at 21 before the Green Knights scored the last four points, getting two kills from Gregg and one from Clement.
 
St. Norbert led Set 3 13-8 before Marian mounted a last-ditch rally, tying it at 16-16. St. Norbert scored three points for a 19-16 lead but the Sabres again came all the way back to force ties at 22 and 23. Alyssa Mills closed out the set and match with a pair of kills.
 
St. Norbert hit .144 for the match, getting 35 kills against 17 errors in 125 attempts. Clement had 14 kills and Gregg added 11. Heidi Colburn and Ellie Hartson had 14 assists apiece. Clement and Lauren Borchardt had two service aces each.
 
Erin Eggers led the Green Knights with 14 digs, with Clement adding 12 and Hartson 11. St. Norbert had seven team blocks, with Clement posting five and Alli Clark four.
 
Marian hit .108, with 33 kills against 20 errors in 120 swings. Olivia Buol had a team-high 12 kills.