California Lutheran University tops North Central College, 3-1
Cal Lutheran claimed a four-set victory over North Central on September 4, 2026, at Roberts Pavilion in Claremont, California, winning 10-25, 25-20, 25-22, 25-20 to move to 2-0 on the season.
The Regals hit .162 as a team compared to North Central's .127, with the efficiency gap widening in the final two sets — Cal Lutheran posted a .225 clip in set two and .275 in set four, while the Cardinals managed just .022 and .089 in those same frames. Cal Lutheran also held a slim edge in aces (8-7) and blocks (9-8), and both teams were closely matched in digs, with North Central logging 72 to CLU's 68.
Abby Buban led all players with 14 kills for North Central, adding four blocks and eight digs for a well-rounded line. Ava Hoff chipped in nine kills and 12 digs, while setter Sarah Harvey ran the offense with 38 assists and 14 digs. For Cal Lutheran, Kennedy Smith paced the attack with 11 kills on a .393 clip, Emily Ford contributed eight kills and six blocks, and Tarin Rueckert added eight kills alongside three aces.
North Central's Lauren Benson rattled off three consecutive aces in set one to fuel a 12-5 lead, but Cal Lutheran recovered to win sets two through four and close out the match.
The loss drops North Central to 1-1 on the season.
