Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (March 16, 2026) – North Central College men's volleyball middle blocker Mitchell Hester turned in a record-tying performance on Saturday afternoon, contributing to nine of the Cardinals' 11 blocks in their four-set victory over Augustana College. The mark tied the single-match record for blocks, and helped Hester earn a College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin weekly award.
Hester was selected by the conference as the Defensive Player of the Week. It is the first weekly award of his career.
To paraphrase the voice of the Chicago Bears, Jeff Joniak, Hester was "ridiculous" on Saturday night, as his performance featured two solo blocks and seven assists, three of which came on consecutive points late in the fourth set.
With the score sitting at 18-14 in the fourth set, Hester took over the game. He teamed up with BK Bartlett for a block to make it 19-14, then paired up with Connor Davis for a block that gave the Cardinals their 20th point of the set and finished his triple platinum run by jumping alongside Bartlett once again, blocking a Viking swing to extend the lead to 21-14.
Hester far and away led the conference in blocks per set this week, averaging 2.25. The next closest player averaged 1.44 blocks per set.
On the season, Hester has accrued 22 blocks for a 0.69 blocks per set average.
North Central (9-7, 3-2 CCIW) is back in action on Wednesday, taking on the top-ranked team in the country, No. 1 Carthage College, in a CCIW battle. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Kenosha, Wisconsin.
