MADISON, WISC. - The first match of the North Central Community College Conference slate presented a top-15 matchup of teams ranked in the NJCAA Division III Poll, and when it was done, undefeated and top-ranked College of DuPage had bested 12th-ranked Madison College in a three-set sweep inside H. Douglas Redsten Gymnasium. Madison College was rallied for set point in the first set, however, the Chaparrals fought them off to secure a 26-24 decision, and rolled to set wins of 25-17 and 25-8 to hand the Pack their second home loss of the season. 

A back-and-forth first set saw neither team lead by more than three points. Consecutive points by the College of DuPage (13-0, 1-0) put the visitors ahead 23-21 late in the set, but Madison College called timeout and answered with three straight points, assuming a 24-23 lead on a Kendall Weisensel ace. The Chaparrals stepped up and denied the WolfPack on set point, and proceeded to run off three straight points to claim the win. DuPage kept the momentum into the second set and took a 10-4 lead, but Madison College clawed back to within three on two separate occasions, including at 18-5. The Chaps then earned seven of the next nine points to take a two-sets-to-none lead. The third set featured an epic rally in its third point, which was won by COD, and the Chaparrals pushed forward from that point on en route to a 17-point victory.



Madison College finished with a season-low 16 kills, -.081 attack percentage, 16 assists, and five aces. The WolfPack totaled six kills in the first set, eight kills, in the second, and just two in the third, while also posting nine and 11 attack errors in the second and third sets, respectively. By comparison, the Chaparrals had double-digit kills in each set and hit .231 for the match. They also owned an 11-5 edge in blocks and a 9-5 advantage in aces.

Freshman outside hitter Tyra Anderson, a native of Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, led the offensive effort with seven kills and hit at a .048 clip. The next highest output was three kills by Gabby Hack and Kendall Weisensel. Weisensel did serve up four of the team's five aces. 

First year setter Daryn Schaefer registered eight assists, with sophomore Mariah Best right behind with seven.

Defensively, Weisensel's 14 digs was the lone double-digit total for the WolfPack, and Hack led the block effort with two.

The loss ends a season-long six-match homestand that saw Madison College go 4-2.

The WolfPack still boast a 30-11 all-time record over COD, however, the Chaps have won five of the last seven meetings. The two teams will meet again on October 6 in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.

Up Next:

The Madison College (10-5, 0-1) travels to compete in the Joliet Junior College Mizuno Invite this weekend in Joliet, Illinois. The bracket-style format begins with the WolfPack taking on Highland Community College (5-7) in their opening match on Friday, September 16 at 1:00 p.m. They will play again on Friday at 5:00 p.m., and then twice more on Saturday. Madison College has not played the Cougars since 2017, and has wins in five of the last six get-togethers. Highland leads the head-to-head tally by a 27-15-1 count.

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