Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324

Oct. 22, 2025 - Suffering its first loss at home this season, the North Central College women's volleyball team fell to Augustana College, 3-1, on Wednesday evening as the Cardinals moved to 14-6 overall and 3-2 in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play.

The Vikings jumped out to a 4-0 lead early in the opening set. The Cardinals responded with a 6-1 run, highlighted by two kills and a block from Sarah Lezon. Augustana answered with a run of their own, scoring six of seven points to take a 13-9 advantage. A kill from Danni Moser evened the contest at 13-13. Following a three-point swing from the Vikings, a Sarah Harvey ace capped off a 6-0 rally from North Central. Another kill from Lezon tied the first set at 25-25. The Vikings scored the final two points of the frame to earn a 28-26 victory in set one.

Two aces from Moser highlighted a 9-2 start for North Central in the second set. An 8-2 run following the hot start extended the Cardinal advantage to 17-4. Augustana battled back, but a kill from Lauren Benson secured a 25-16 win in set two for North Central. The Cardinals hit .419 in the frame, led by five kills from Lezon.

The Vikings came out firing in the third set, taking a 10-2 lead. Following a 6-2 run from Augustana, two kills from Abby Buban kept the Cardinals within reach, 18-12. An ace from Benson concluded a four-point North Central swing, but it wasn't enough as the Vikings held on for a 25-19 win in set three. A 9-0 run early in the fourth set put the Vikings in control. Buban and Benson's kills kept the Cardinals in the contest, but a 5-0 run by Augustana clinched a 25-15 win in the final set. 

Buban led the Cardinals with 13 kills, followed closely by Lezon with 10. Sarah Harvey sent out 25 assists with Kylie Hanson adding 12. Aleesa Zebold racked up 20 digs on the night, the second most of her season. Moser tallied three aces while Lezon and Abranet Layne registered two blocks each.

North Central hosts No. 13 Washington University in St. Louis on Friday for a 12:30 p.m. first serve. This marks the fifth meeting between the programs and the first in Naperville.