CLAREMONT, Calif. (Sept. 4, 2026) - Nearly 2,000 miles from home, the North Central College women's volleyball team opened the Pacific Coast Classic with a five-set comeback victory over Occidental College on Friday, rallying from a 2-1 deficit to defeat the Tigers 23-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13. Junior setter
Sarah Harvey also reached a career milestone in the win, recording her 1,000th career assist. The Cardinals fell to California Lutheran University in the nightcap, 3-1.
North Central struck first, building an early lead that reached 11-9 on a
Jordan Surber kill. Occidental clawed back and closed the set with a late push.
Ava Hoff and
Abby Buban traded kills late to pull the Cardinals within a point in the closing stages, but the Tigers closed out the opener, 25-23.
The Cardinals answered immediately in the second set. Kills from Hoff,
Lauren Benson and Buban put North Central in control, punctuated by a Buban kill off a Harvey assist that pushed the Cardinals in front for good.
Alyssa Wolf added a kill off a
Nora Miller assist late in the frame.
Katie Godo added two aces during the set as North Central cruised to a 25-14 win, evening the match.
Occidental moved back in front with another narrow 25-23 decision in the third set, but North Central responded with purpose in the fourth. The Cardinals broke open a tight frame with a late surge, using swings from Harvey, Buban and Hoff to create separation. Harvey's ace pushed the lead to 24-18, and Buban delivered the final point to force a fifth set.
In the decisive set, North Central built a 9-5 advantage before Occidental rallied to even the score at 11-11. The Cardinals steadied themselves down the stretch as Surber supplied two late kills, including one that put North Central on the brink at 14-11. Hoff closed the match with the final swing for a 15-13 victory.
Buban led the Cardinals with 16 kills and added 12 digs for her second consecutive double-double, while Hoff added 15 kills and Benson finished with 14. Godo served up a match-high four aces in the victory.
North Central carried that momentum into its second match of the day, opening the match against Cal Lutheran with a commanding 25-10 first-set win. The Cardinals used a 10-point run midway through the frame to take control, with Benson serving up three aces during the stretch and Buban helping set the tone at the net alongside
Giada Schrementi.
The Regals answered by taking the next two sets, but North Central stayed within striking distance throughout the match. Buban continued to lead the attack, Hoff and Surber added support on the outside, and the fourth set remained tight past the midway point before Cal Lutheran pulled away late for a 25-20 decision.
Buban led North Central with 14 kills against Cal Lutheran, while Hoff and Surber each added nine. Benson served up four aces, and Schrementi paced the Cardinals at the net with six blocks.
Harvey recorded a double-double in both matches Friday, pairing her 51 assists with 14 digs against Occidental before adding 38 assists and 14 digs against Cal Lutheran.
The split moves the Cardinals' season record to 2-1. North Central closes out the Pacific Coast Classic at 10 a.m. (PT) tomorrow inside Roberts Pavilion against the Poets of Whittier College, followed by a 12 p.m. (PT) match against host, No. 23 Claremont-Mudd-Scripps Colleges.
