Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
DECATUR, Ill. (Oct. 29, 2025) - The North Central College women's volleyball team returned to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin play on Wednesday evening as the Cardinals fell to Millikin University, 3-0, inside the Griswold Center, moving to 15-7 overall and 3-3 in league play.
The Big Blue took a 5-2 lead early in the opening set before back-to-back kills from Abby Buban evened the contest at 5-5. The teams traded points until a 6-1 run from the hosts forced a Cardinal timeout. Following a second North Central timeout, Abranet Layne registered her first block before Sarah Harvey found Lauren Benson for a kill as the Cardinals came back within four, 18-14. A kill from Layne and Danni Moser kept the set close, but Millikin scored the final two points to claim a 25-20 win in set one.
Millikin again took an early lead, as a 6-0 rally put the Big Blue ahead 11-6 in the second set. Kills from Benson and Moser kept the Cardinals within striking distance, 13-9. A late run from North Central, highlighted by service aces from Harvey and Moser, brought the Cardinals within two, 22-20. Buban sent home a kill to force a Millikin timeout, but the Big Blue closed out set two, 25-22.
A Big Blue 10-4 run to open the third set forced North Central to call a timeout. The Cardinals responded with a four-point swing as Buban, Benson and Moser each recorded a kill before Demi Carpio served up an ace. After another Cardinal timeout, kills from Layne bookended a 5-0 run to knot the contest at 16-16. A 7-1 run from the Big Blue sealed the deal as Millikin won 25-21.
Sarah Lezon and Moser led the Cardinals with eight kills each as Layne and Benson tallied seven. Harvey sent out 32 assists on the day, along with an ace. Aleesa Zebold added 12 digs over the three sets. North Central hit .178 on the night, while Millikin hit .314.
The Cardinals head to Chicago on Saturday for a triangular at the University of Chicago. North Central takes on the hosts at 11 a.m. before facing the University of Wisconsin-Platteville at 1:30 p.m. inside the Ratner Center.
