1/24/26
NAPERVILLE, IL – In a sport where momentum swings faster than a libero’s reflexes, Benedictine University walked into Gregory Arena on Friday night and did something most visitors don’t: they left with both the victory and the hardware.
The Eagles dispatched #20 North Central 3-1 (25-20, 20-25, 25-22, 26-24) in a match that featured 22 tie scores and 11 lead changes, retaining the Christian Staple’s Battle of Maple/Chicago trophy with the kind of gritty, road-warrior mentality that defines January volleyball.
The Lambert Show
Tucker Lambert didn’t just play volleyball on Friday – he conducted a masterclass in how to dismantle a ranked opponent. Six service aces. Eight kills. Ten digs. The senior was everywhere North Central didn’t want him to be, which is to say, everywhere.
“Lambert’s serving run in the first set set the tone,” one could imagine opposing coaches muttering into their clipboards. Those six aces weren’t just points – they were psychological warfare, forcing North Central into scramble mode and disrupting any semblance of offensive rhythm the Cardinals hoped to establish.
The Efficiency Gap That Matters
Here’s where the match was really won: Benedictine hit .212 as a team. North Central managed just .171. In volleyball’s ruthless mathematics, that 41-point differential is the difference between trophy photos and soul-searching bus rides home.
Jaron Lindsay embodied that efficiency, converting 13 kills on 32 swings with only four errors (.281). Meanwhile, North Central’s Jeffrey McEachern suffered through the kind of night that keeps middles awake at 3 a.m., posting 10 kills but needing 38 attempts to get there (.053). When you’re giving the ball back that often, you’re not winning.
Brannen Almarales fought valiantly for the Cardinals with a team-high 15 kills, but his .150 hitting percentage told the story of an offense constantly working uphill against Benedictine’s blocking wall.
VanEngen’s Quiet Brilliance
While Lambert grabbed headlines, Spencer VanEngen orchestrated 37 assists with the calm precision of a conductor leading a symphony. He added 10 digs and three blocks, proving once again that great setters don’t just distribute – they defend, they scrape, they do whatever the moment demands.
Jordan Cardenas anchored the back row with 16 digs, providing the kind of defensive stability that allows hitters to swing freely, knowing their setter will get another crack at the ball.
The Fourth Set Drama
The final set alone featured seven lead changes, a microcosm of the evening’s competitive fire. Benedictine closed it 26-24, the kind of clutch finish that separates pretenders from trophy collectors. In those crucial moments, North Central’s 8 reception errors and defensive inconsistency (42 digs to Benedictine’s 52) proved costly.
Reality Check Incoming
At 2-2, Benedictine doesn’t have long to celebrate. #2 Carthage visits next Saturday, the kind of opponent that will test whether this trophy retention was a statement or a mirage.
But for tonight? The Eagles proved they can travel, they can handle ranked opponents, and they can win when the scoreboard says 24-24. That’s not nothing. That’s January volleyball at its finest – messy, competitive, and ultimately, decided by who makes fewer mistakes when it matters most.
Trophy retained. Statement made. Next.