Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (Oct. 15, 2025) - Dropping its first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin match of the season, the North Central College women's volleyball team fell in straight sets to No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan University Wednesday evening inside the Shirk Center.
Back-to-back aces from Danni Moser sparked a 5-1 lead in the opening set. Sarah Harvey set up Lauren Benson for a kill to keep North Central on top, 8-5. Both teams traded points as a kill from Sarah Lezon gave the Cardinals a 14-10 advantage. Two Titan errors put North Central ahead by three, 19-16, and forced the hosts to take a timeout. A block from Abranet Layne extended the lead before a five-point swing from Illinois Wesleyan gave the Titans their first lead of the set, 21-20. After a block from Layne and Lezon and an Illinois Wesleyan miscue, the Titans scored five of the final six points to take set one, 26-24.
A kill from Lezon kept the second set close for the Cardinals as Illinois Wesleyan took a 9-5 lead. Harvey and Layne combined for a block to bring North Central within three. A 10-3 run from the Titans propelled the hosts to a 25-15 victory in set two.
The momentum stayed on the Titans' side, as they jumped out to a 7-2 lead. A kill from Benson and an ace from Katie Godo brought North Central back within three. Abby Buban and Moser recorded kills, but an 8-2 rally from Illinois Wesleyan kept them in front. A block from Buban and Layne wasn't enough as the Titans won 25-14 in set three.
Lezon paced the Cardinal offense with six kills, followed closely by Moser with five and Benson with four. Harvey dished out 17 assists while Moser tallied three aces. Layne racked up 2.5 blocks on the night. As a team, North Central hit .010 to Illinois Wesleyan's .165 hitting percentage.
The Cardinals return home to Gregory Arena for the first time since Sept. 24 to take on Augustana College for a 7 p.m. first serve. The Cardinals have split the last four matches with the Vikings.
