Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Oct. 28, 2026 - Taking on the No. 1 team in NCAA Division III and the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW), the North Central College women's volleyball team pushed Illinois Wesleyan University to a competitive four-set match, falling 17-25, 23-25, 25-19, 13-25 Wednesday night inside Gregory Arena.
The Titans jumped out to a 5-1 advantage early in the opening set. Two kills from Abby Buban and an ace by Lauren Benson evened the score at 6-6. Jordan Surber's kill kept the Cardinals within striking distance before an ace from Katie Godo brought North Central within three at 16-13. Illinois Wesleyan scored seven of the final nine points to claim a 25-17 victory in the opening set.
The teams traded points to open the second set as a block from Buban tied the score at 7-7. The Titans used a 6-1 run to take a four-point lead before back-to-back aces from Ava Hoff evened the set at 14-14. Another kill from Buban gave the Cardinals a 17-16 advantage. After three more ties, Illinois Wesleyan won four straight points before North Central answered with a four-point run of its own. A kill from Benson tied the score at 23-23, but the Titans scored the final two points to secure a 25-23 win.
Four kills from Hoff and two aces by Godo highlighted a 7-0 start for the Cardinals in the third set. A pair of kills from Buban helped North Central maintain a 10-4 edge before a Hoff kill stopped a four-point Titans run. The Cardinals followed with a 6-1 surge to build a 17-10 advantage. Giada Schrementi's block paced North Central down the stretch before a kill from Hoff sealed a 25-19 victory. The Cardinals never trailed in the set, marking the first time this season Illinois Wesleyan did not hold a lead at any point during a CCIW set.
After back-and-forth action early in the fourth set, the Titans used a 17-4 run on the way to a 25-13 victory to close out the match.
Benson led all players with 14 kills. Buban (10 kills, 15 digs) and Hoff (10 kills, 10 digs) each recorded double-doubles. Sarah Harvey tallied 36 assists and 13 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Godo and Hoff added three service aces apiece, while Buban and Schrementi recorded three blocks each to lead the Cardinals. As a team, North Central hit .086, while Illinois Wesleyan posted a .159 hitting percentage.
The Cardinals host the University of Wisconsin-River Falls on Saturday with first serve scheduled for 5:30 p.m. Prior to the match, North Central will honor its senior class for its years of dedication to the program.
