Elmhurst University tops Ohio Northern University, 3-0
Elmhurst swept Ohio Northern 25-16, 25-19, 25-13 on September 4, 2026, at Thornton Gymnasium in Aurora, Illinois, to open the home slate with a convincing straight-set victory.
The Bluejays controlled the match from the attack line, posting a .307 hitting percentage compared to Ohio Northern's .010 — a margin that tells the story cleanly. Elmhurst recorded 43 kills to the Polar Bears' 22, and added a 7-2 edge in aces that consistently put Ohio Northern on the back foot. The Polar Bears were also hurt by 21 attack errors on the night, including a disastrous Set 2 in which they hit -.219. Elmhurst's defense kept pace offensively, out-digging ONU 55-38.
Ashley Clardy led all players with 11 kills on a .556 clip, while Katie Hurta and Amber Otto each added 10 kills of their own. Otto also served up four aces and dug 10 balls for a well-rounded night. Elayna Ammerman anchored the back row with 24 digs and contributed two aces from the service line. For Ohio Northern, Summer Hoying paced the offense with seven kills and six digs.
Elmhurst opened Set 1 with a 7-0 run to set the tone early, a stretch that proved too deep a hole for Ohio Northern to climb out of across the match.
The win moves Elmhurst to 1-0 on the season.
