North Central College tops Millikin University, 3-0
North Central College swept Millikin 3-0 (25-21, 25-17, 25-22) on Tuesday, September 23 at Gregory Arena in Naperville, Ill., picking up the Cardinals' first CCIW win of the season in front of 217 fans.
North Central held a clear edge across the board, finishing with a .189 attack percentage to Millikin's .113 and a 38-31 advantage in kills. The most decisive gap came at the service line, where the Cardinals tallied 10 aces to the Big Blue's 3. North Central also held a substantial edge in digs, 46-36, helping them control the defensive end throughout. Millikin showed its best offensive efficiency in Set 3 (.219), but it wasn't enough to change the outcome.
Abby Buban led all players with 14 kills and added 8 digs for North Central, while Lauren Benson contributed 9 kills and a match-high 3 blocks. Ava Hoff rounded out the Cardinals' attack with 6 kills, 4 aces, and 9 digs. For Millikin, Maggye Smith paced the Big Blue with 9 kills, and Francesca Brandonisio anchored the back row with 15 digs.
Ava Hoff served through a 9-point run in Set 2 that extended North Central's lead from 2-1 to 2-11, effectively putting that frame out of reach early.
The win moves North Central to 5-4 overall and 1-0 in CCIW play, while Millikin falls to 8-6 and 0-1 in conference.
Photos by Papa Claes Visuals.
