By: Matt Scher, matts@977thebolt.com
Hampton, IA – The No. 4 (3A) Humboldt volleyball team finished its regular season with another dominant North Central Conference performance Thursday night, sweeping Hampton-Dumont/CAL in straight sets to secure the 2026 NCC championship outright.
The Wildcats won 25-10, 25-12 and 25-12 to finish the regular season with a 35-4 overall record and an undefeated 11-0 mark in conference play.
The championship is Humboldt’s third consecutive outright NCC title and its fourth straight season finishing at least tied for the conference crown. The Wildcats shared the championship in 2023 with Algona before winning outright in 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Humboldt head coach Kara Waldorf said she was pleased with the team’s steady approach in the regular-season finale.
“I was proud of the girls. They were just ready to come out, play a clean game.”
Waldorf said the Wildcats focused on controlling their own play, maintaining their aggression and keeping a steady pace throughout the match.
“They stayed aggressive and they had fun and played well,” Waldorf said. “So it was good to see them win.”
Although Humboldt experienced some unforced errors, Waldorf was encouraged by how the team responded rather than allowing mistakes to snowball into extended scoring runs for its opponent. She said the team has worked to prevent one mistake from turning into several consecutive errors.
“I thought they did a really nice job responding with the error and then getting back and attacking hard,” Waldorf said.
Thursday’s victory marked Humboldt’s 35th win of the season, establishing a new program record for victories in a single year. The previous record of 34 wins was set in 2016. The Wildcats also extended their streak of sweeping conference opponents to 19 consecutive matches, spanning 54 straight set victories against NCC competition.
The Wildcats also extended their streak of sweeping conference opponents to 19 consecutive matches, spanning 54 straight set victories against NCC competition.
The conference sweep streak dates back to October 7, 2024, when Humboldt faced Webster City at home. The Wildcats dropped the opening set 28-26 before rallying to win the next three sets and take the match. Since that opening-set loss, Humboldt has not dropped another set to an NCC opponent, winning 54 consecutive sets across 19 straight conference matches.
Humboldt has also won 27 consecutive NCC matches, dating back to a victory over Iowa Falls-Alden on October 5, 2023. The Wildcats’ last conference loss came against St. Edmond on September 26, 2023. The 27-match winning streak reflects Humboldt’s continued dominance in league play, highlighted by its current run of 19 consecutive conference sweeps.
Waldorf said the team’s success exceeded her expectations entering the season, particularly after the graduation of key contributors from last year’s state runner-up team.
“To be honest, I really didn’t know what to expect going into preseason,” Waldorf said. “So for them to do what they’ve done this year has been just really awesome and, to be quite honest, kind of unexpected.”
Four players returned with experience from Humboldt’s appearance in the 2025 state championship match, while other players stepped into expanded roles.
Waldorf credited the team’s role players, leadership and chemistry for helping Humboldt put together its record-setting season. She said the Wildcats have developed a close bond both on and off the court, building trust that carries over into competition.
“I really truly think that they’ve become, like, best friends this fall,” Waldorf said. “They do way more than what I require them to do together.”
Humboldt’s record-setting regular season has also included significant individual accomplishments.
Senior Gracie Johnson established a new program career record for service aces, entering Thursday’s match with 149. Waldorf praised Johnson’s aggressive serving, serve-receive skills and defensive contributions.
“Her serve is just on fire,” Waldorf said. “I honestly, I love when she gets back there. I feel so calm.”
Waldorf said Johnson consistently puts opposing teams out of system with her serve and has been a key contributor in the back row. Johnson’s versatility also gives Humboldt another offensive option as the Wildcats head into postseason play.
Junior Adelynn Goodell entered the match having established a new program single-season kills record with 386. Goodell has continued to develop as an attacker and leader for the Wildcats.
“She’s just gets better and better,” Waldorf said. “I just love how strong she is right now. She’s being smart. She attacks the ball hard.”
Waldorf added that Goodell has grown into a stronger presence on the court while continuing to play aggressively.
Setter Addie Waldorf has already established Humboldt’s career assists record, with another season of eligibility remaining. Head coach Kara Waldorf credited her ability to distribute the ball, make smart decisions and run the offense.
“She does such a nice job just running our offense, making really good choices,” Waldorf said. “She’s very smart. You know, she goes to the hot hitters and she spreads the ball around.”
Waldorf also praised the connection between Addie and Goodell, saying the setter-attacker combination has been fun to watch this season.
The combination of experienced leaders and players taking on larger roles has helped Humboldt finish with the best regular-season record in program history.
The Wildcats now shift their attention to the Class 3A-Region 4 tournament.
Humboldt will host Grand View Christian on Tuesday, October 20, in a Region 4 quarterfinal round matchup. The winner advances to face the winner of Nevada and Albia in the regional semifinal on Thursday, October 22, in Humboldt.
Waldorf said the team will use the coming days to maintain its competitive edge through practice while keeping the atmosphere positive heading into postseason play.
“We just are trying to keep things also a little lighter too,” Waldorf said. “So we’re just going to try to keep getting better, have fun, and keep pushing them hard.”
She emphasized the importance of limiting unforced errors and avoiding the assumption that a favorable matchup guarantees a victory.
“If we control our game and we really limit the unforced errors, I foresee no problem with that,” Waldorf said. “But it’s postseason is a weird time because you just see people that, you know, maybe, like, you on paper, you beat 10 times out of 10 and they’re going to come in and they don’t want their season to be over.”
Waldorf said Humboldt must remain focused on its first-round opponent rather than looking too far ahead.
“We’re just going to take one game at a time,” she said. “As soon as we’re done with that game, we’ll move on to the next. But we’re not going to look down the road.”
First Serve Tuesday night in the Class 3A-Region 4 Quarterfinal between Grand View Christian (7-26, 2-7 Heart of Iowa) and No. 4 (3A) Humboldt (35-4, 11-0 NCC) is scheduled for 7 p.m.