Contact: Nicholas Osterloo, Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5324
Sept. 1, 2026 - Kicking off the new season on the right note, the North Central College women's volleyball team won its 27th straight match over Concordia University Chicago with a 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 sweep Tuesday night inside Geiseman Gymnasium.
Ava Hoff scored the season's first point with a kill off an assist from Sarah Harvey. Three errors from the hosts and a Lauren Benson kill gave the Cardinals a 5-2 advantage early in the opening set. Hoff's ace was sandwiched between two kills from Abby Buban before a 4-0 swing put North Central ahead 14-6. Jordan Surber added a kill before back-to-back kills from Benson stretched the lead to 19-11. Hoff closed the set the same way she opened it, putting down a kill from Harvey as the Cardinals claimed a 25-18 win.
Concordia Chicago opened the second set with a 4-1 lead before the teams traded points. Benson delivered three straight aces to bring North Central within two at 12-10. Buban and Hoff added kills, and two Cougar errors kept the Cardinals close. Hoff's fourth kill of the set sparked a 6-0 run as North Central moved in front 23-21. Two more Concordia Chicago errors sealed a 25-22 victory.
An ace from Demi Carpio tied the third set at 3-3 before two aces from Katie Godo pushed the Cardinals ahead 6-4. The Cougars responded to even the set at 7-7 as both sides traded points. North Central's fifth ace of the set highlighted a 5-1 run for a 15-12 advantage, but Concordia Chicago answered with a four-point swing to retake the lead. Benson tied the set at 18-18 and again at 20-20 with kills down the stretch. Buban delivered three kills in the Cardinals' final four points to secure a 25-23 win and complete the sweep.
Harvey finished with 25 assists while Godo and Benson each tallied four aces. Buban led the Cardinals with 10 kills and 10 digs, recording a double-double in the opener. Hoff totaled nine kills and six digs, and Carpio added eight digs. Giada Schrementi posted two blocks. As a team, the Cardinals held the Cougars to a negative hitting percentage at -.026 over 78 attacks.
North Central heads west to California for a four-match event hosted by Claremont-Mudd-Scripps College on Sept. 4-5. The Cardinals open play against Occidental College at 10 a.m. (PT) inside Roberts Pavilion.
