> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.thebackrowvb.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# North Central College tops Macalester College, 3-0
- URL: https://www.thebackrowvb.com/north-central-college-tops-macalester-college-3-0/
- Published: 2026-09-19T20:44:37.000Z
- Updated: 2026-09-19T20:44:37.000Z
- Author: Aaron Claessens
- Tags: North Central College, Recap, Women's

North Central (IL) swept Macalester 3-0 (25-23, 25-18, 25-21) on Friday, September 19 at the Lillis Athletic and Wellness Center in Dubuque, Iowa, moving to 4-4 on the season while dropping Macalester to 5-7.

The clearest separator was efficiency: North Central hit .242 as a team compared to Macalester's .147, a gap that widened considerably in Set 2 when the Cardinals hit .333 against the Scots' .086\. North Central also held a significant edge in aces, 8-4, including six combined from three different servers. Kills were nearly even at 39-38, making the service and efficiency advantages the deciding factors across the match.

Abby Buban led all players with 15 kills, adding 9 digs and 2 aces for North Central. Lauren Benson contributed 10 kills on a .450 hitting percentage, 3 blocks, and 2 aces, while setter Sarah Harvey distributed 31 assists and chipped in 9 digs. For Macalester, Channing Smith posted a team-high 9 kills to go with 7 digs and 2 aces, and libero Morgan Stone anchored the back row with 11 digs.

Set 1 featured a late North Central surge — the Cardinals rattled off six unanswered points to erase a 14-19 deficit and pull even at 19-19 before closing out 25-23.

The win moves North Central to 4-4 overall as the program opens CCIW play ahead.

Box score: [https://northcentralcardinals.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2026/macalester-college/boxscore/17063](https://northcentralcardinals.com/sports/womens-volleyball/stats/2026/macalester-college/boxscore/17063?ref=thebackrowvb.com)