Contact: Alex Mielcarz, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, ajmielcarz@noctrl.edu
NAPERVILLE, Ill. (March 25, 2026) – The North Central College men's volleyball program hosted No. 11 University of California, Santa Cruz on Wednesday night inside Gregory Arena, losing in straight sets. The match was the final non-conference contest of the year for the Cardinals, and the first of a four-match final stretch against American Volleyball Coaches Association top-20 opponents.
The Banana Slugs won the match 25-18, 25-22, 25-15, hitting at a .432 clip in the process. North Central (10-9) committed 30 total errors in the match, including 12 attack errors and 13 service errors.
Santa Cruz (15-4) went up 10-6 in the first set and was able to keep the Cardinals at bay for the rest of the game. Brannen Almarales cut the lead to two (14-12) with a kill from an Angelo Delgado set, but a short 4-1 lead stretched the Slugs' lead to 18-13.
A powerful spike from Mitchell Hester tried to spark a comeback attempt late in the set (22-16), but the Cardinals were unable to capitalize on the momentum, falling 25-18 in the opening game.
The second set was the most competitive of the three, with both teams remaining within striking distance throughout. The Banana Slugs jumped out to a 7-3 lead, but a Santa Cruz service error, a kill from Almarales and a block by Connor Davis and Elijah Landeros brought the Cardinals to within one (7-6). Santa Cruz extended its advantage out to 10-7, but the Cardinals fought back again, using a block by Hester and Jeffrey McEachern Jr., as well as a big finish by Almarales to tie the Slugs at 12.
The two teams would tie again at 13 after another Almarales swing found its way to the Merner Fieldhouse floor.
Santa Cruz grew its advantage to 20-17, but another kill by Almarales combined with a pair of Banana Slug attack errors tied the set at 20. Almarales tied the set again two rallies later at 22 with another one of his match-leading 12 kills, but it wasn't enough, as Santa Cruz finished the set on a 4-1 run to clinch the win 25-22.
The match's third set was all Banana Slugs from start to finish. They jumped out to a 5-0 advantage that eventually grew to 10-4. North Central would lose the set 25-15.
Almarales led the match with 12 kills. Delgado split the load at the setter position today with PJ Vaughan. The pair authored 27 assists between the two of them. Delgado led the way with 16 and Vaughan followed with 11.
Hester had another highly efficient performance in the Cardinal front row. He turned nine of his fourteen swing attempts into kills, committing just one error along the way, earning him a team high .571 hitting percentage. He also contributed to two of the Cardinals' three blocks on the evening.
The Cardinals are right back on the horse on Saturday, as they take on No. 20 Illinois Wesleyan at 7 p.m. inside Gregory Arena in a critical College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin clash. Illinois Wesleyan, which defeated No. 10 Loras College in straight sets tonight, now holds a two-match lead on the Cardinals in the CCIW standings.
The program will honor its seniors pregame at approximately 6:55 p.m.
