The College of DuPage women's volleyball team started championship tournament play with a statement win on Nov. 13, defeating 11th seeded Caldwell Community College and Technical Institute 3-2 (20-25, 25-19, 25-19, 23-25, 15-8). 

After Caldwell stole the first set, the Chaps settled down and rattled off two straight set wins. After forcing a fifth set, DuPage met the moment and never trailed, taking it 15-8. 

Sami Hornbogen paced DuPage with 12 kills, while Megan Daca followed with 10. Lexi Hornbogen and Claire Rambasek each added nine kills. Ava Diaz provided a steady presence in the passing game, finishing with 24 assists. Daca led in service aces with three, while Diaz, Rambasek, and Amani Harrington each tallied two. 

Frankie Bradonisio led the Chaps with 21 digs, and Jaime Volz added 16. Daca and Lexi Hornbogen were active at the net defensively, each recording six block assists. 

DuPage head coach Tolis Koskinaris praised his team's resilience, saying, "We survived the opening round against a tough, gritty Caldwell Tech team. Our team's willpower went to the next level in that match." 

The sixth-seeded Chaparrals will be right back in action today, Nov. 13, in a matchup against the No. 3 seed Butler County Community College. First serive is set for 5:30 p.m. and can be streamed live on the NJCAA Network.