North Central College tops Occidental College, 3-2
North Central College defeated Occidental College 3-2 (23-25, 25-14, 23-25, 25-20, 15-13) on September 4, 2026, at Roberts Pavilion in Claremont, CA, taking the decisive fifth set to close out a hard-fought five-set match.
North Central's attack efficiency told the story — the Cardinals hit .200 as a team compared to Occidental's .103, posting their strongest set in the fourth frame at .394 against Occidental's .235. The Cardinals generated 62 kills to the Tigers' 50, with North Central's service game providing an edge as well: eight aces to Occidental's seven. Both teams were even in blocks at four apiece, while North Central edged the defensive effort with 80 digs to 68.
Abby Buban led all players with 16 kills, adding 12 digs and three blocks to anchor North Central's offense and defense. Ava Hoff contributed 15 kills and 13 digs, and Lauren Benson added 14 kills. Setter Sarah Harvey ran the offense with 51 assists while also logging 14 digs and two aces. For Occidental, Jasmine Shum paced the Tigers with 14 kills, and Audrey Makler added 11.
North Central used a 6-3 run to build a 9-5 lead in the fifth set that Occidental could never fully erase, closing out the match 15-13.
The win moves North Central to 2-0 on the season.
