DePauw, John Carroll Advance with Quarterfinal Victories

CLEVELAND, OH – No. 3 seed DePauw and No. 5 seed John Carroll advanced through the quarterfinal round of the 2026 NCAC Volleyball Tournament with victories over No. 6 seed Oberlin and No. 4 seed Denison, respectively. The Tigers swept the Yeowomen, 3-0 (25-12, 25-16, 25-8), while the Blue Streaks also earned a straight-sets victory over the Big Red, 3-0 (25-14, 25-22, 25-20).
 
With the wins, DePauw and John Carroll secured their spots in the semifinal round, joining No. 1 seed Wittenberg and No. 2 seed Ohio Wesleyan, who earned first-round byes. As the tournament's top seed, Wittenberg will host the final two rounds on Friday, November 13, and Saturday, November 14, in Springfield, Ohio.
 
In Friday's semifinal action, DePauw will face Ohio Wesleyan at 5:00 p.m., while John Carroll takes on host Wittenberg at 7:30 p.m. The winners will advance to Saturday's championship match which is scheduled for a 2:00 p.m. start in Springfield.
 
#3 DEPAUW (21-7) 3, #6 OBERLIN (6-17) 0
  • DePauw got off to a fast start as the Tigers scored the first four points and answered a 2-0 Oberlin run with a 9-0 stretch to go up 13-2. DePauw’s points came in multiple ways, but senior Jen Proeh (Lake Forest, IL/Lake Forest) led the way with two kills and two block assists over the stretch. The teams traded points the rest of the way as the Tigers took the opener 25-12.
  • Set two started similarly as DePauw scored six of the first seven points thanks to three aces, including two by senior Lauren Bohn (Louisville, KY/Louisville Male). Oberlin bounced back with an 8-4 run, cutting their deficit to just one at 10-9 as sophomores Brylie Peters (Houston, TX/The Village School) and Mara Geiger (North Royalton, OH/North Royalton) had their hands in two points apiece over the run.
  • The teams traded runs, and a 6-1 Oberlin spurt pulled the Yeowomen to within two at 18-16, but DePauw scored the final seven points to win set two 25-16.
  • In the third set, the squads battled back and forth for the first few points, tying at 5-5. However, DePauw flipped the script with a 5-0 run and didn’t look back. The Tigers closed out the match on a 20-3 run that saw sophomore Mckenna Wilken (Westfield, IN/Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School) and first-year Ella Coppock (Noblesville, IN/Noblesville) tally three kills apiece.
  • DePauw finished with 30 kills and a .394 hitting percentage, while Oberlin tallied 19 kills at a -.026 clip. The Tigers also led in assists (25-19), digs (33-27), service aces (8-6), and total blocks (9-1).
#5 JOHN CARROLL (18-9) 3, #4 DENISON (10-16) 0
  • John Carroll opened the match with a strong offensive performance, taking an early lead and maintaining its advantage throughout the first set. Senior Natalie Glowe (Kirtland, OH/Kirtland) and first-year Khloe Trivoli (New Philadelphia, OH/Tuscarawas Central Catholic) helped pace the Blue Streaks’ attack, while senior Kallan Hrics (Wadsworth, OH/Highland) and senior Mary Kate Sheehan (Chicago, IL/Mother McAuley) added key kills. John Carroll hit .423 with 14 kills in the opening frame, pulling away for a 25-14 win.
  • Denison responded in the second set, keeping the contest close behind the offensive efforts of sophomore Emily Monachino (Cleveland, OH/Hawken) and senior Maeve Perry (Indianapolis, IN/Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory School). The Big Red rallied to tie the score at 22-22, but a Denison setting error gave John Carroll the lead before kills from senior Hailey Williams (Twinsburg, OH/Twinsburg) and Sheehan secured a 25-22 win for the Blue Streaks.
  • The Big Red came out strong in the third set, building an early advantage and leading by as many as six points at 11-5. Denison maintained its lead at 13-10 before John Carroll battled back to even the score at 15-15. The teams traded points to 16-16, but the Blue Streaks took control with a decisive run to move ahead 22-16. John Carroll closed out the set, 25-20, to secure the straight-sets victory.
  • John Carroll was led by Glowe, who recorded a team-high 12 kills while hitting .478, adding eight digs and three total blocks. Sheehan contributed 10 kills, while Trivoli finished with eight kills and three total blocks. Williams added six kills and a team-high 14 digs, and senior Tess Murray (Huron, OH/Huron) guided the offense with 36 assists.
  • Denison was led by Monachino, who tallied a team-high 11 kills while hitting .348, and Perry, who added nine kills at a .333 clip. Senior Claire Hamilton (Lower Merion, PA/Lower Merion) chipped in six kills, while senior Katelyn Chiu (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley) and sophomore Amelia Kurtz (Riverwoods, IL/DePaul College Prep) combined for 31 assists. Senior Ryan Kotalik (Pittsford, NY/Pittsford Sutherland) paced the Big Red defense with 12 digs.
  • John Carroll finished with 42 kills and a .317 hitting percentage, while Denison totaled 38 kills at .173. The Blue Streaks also held advantages in assists (39-35), digs (49-45), service aces (7-4) and total blocks (9-3).

Related Stories

Related Videos

Now Playing: