North Central College Athletics

Despite having a role as one of the key components of some of the most successful teams in the history of the North Central College women’s volleyball program, Donna Chess ’94 Boomgarden often found herself focusing on the recreational aspect of her athletic pursuits. She played for the enjoyment of the sport and enjoyed the relationships formed with teammates.

Initially attracted to North Central by the atmosphere cultivated by head coach and fellow North Central Athletic Hall of Famer Marcy Thurwachter, Boomgarden soon found that having fun and winning could happen at the same time. She took part in 94 victories over the course of her four-year career.

“Volleyball was always a fun pastime for me,” Boomgarden said. “It just seemed to come naturally. A lot of other players in the program were good, and Marcy was really good at putting together volleyball drills as well as strength training programs for us.”

Boomgarden earned Second Team All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) honors as a sophomore in 1991 as the Cardinals went 30-14 overall and completed a perfect 8-0 run through conference play.

The following season, North Central finished 29-17 with a 6-1 record in conference play as Boomgarden earned First Team All-CCIW honors, led the CCIW in digs per game (5.67) and was voted the Cardinals’ first-ever CCIW Player of the Year.

At the time, the conference champion was determined by a combination of regular-season and CCIW Tournament success.  North Central’s regular-season success, combined with its runner-up finish in the CCIW Tournament, gave the Cardinals the 1992 CCIW Championship. It remains North Central’s only conference championship in volleyball.

“We were proud of ourselves, just like we were of every season that we played in,” Boomgarden said. “We were a close team on and off the court. Getting the conference championship awards was a moment when we all finally thought, ‘Wow! This is real.’

“I probably did not realize what a big deal (the Player of the Year Award) was back then. It was just a fun season.”

Boomgarden again earned First Team All-CCIW honors as a senior in 1993 while once again leading the CCIW in digs per game (5.44). Her 602 digs recorded during the 1991 season stood as a single-season school record at the time and she is one of six players in the program’s history to earn All-CCIW honors three times.

But what has remained with her more than the win totals, records and awards have been the relationships that continue to endure long after her career’s conclusion.

“The friendships I formed on the team are what stay with me,” she said. “Volleyball definitely isn’t a one-person sport. Everyone’s there working hard to make each other better and pick people up when they’re down. That happened for us on and off the court.”