Hyde Park, Ill -
The North Park women's volleyball team opened up their season in sweeping fashion; winning both of their matches against Kalamazoo College and Albion College 3-0.
Match 1 - Kalamazoo College
Against Kalamazoo, the Vikings utilized a slew of kills to overpower their opponent, marking 40 while the opposition mustered only 24.Â
Niki Ahlstrand and Lauren Wiltsie paced the Viking attack with 10 kills each while Reagan Clement added 8. The Vikings also marked an impressive 6 aces in their first match of the season: three by Ahlstrand, a pair from Mia Riccolo, and one from Wiltsie.
In set 2, Kalamazoo jumped out to an early 7-2 lead but the North Park attack bounced back. The Vikings evened up the set at 14-14 and eventually took a 17-14 lead on three consecutive Kalamazoo errors.
Winning all three sets (25-20, 25-19, 25-20), the Vikings built some momentum for the second match of the day.
Match 2 - Albion College
In their second match of the day against Albion, North Park dominated once more.
Despite a very close set 2 that involved 7 lead changes, the Vikings came out on top. Nearly doubling their opponents' kill total (42 for North Park, 24 for Albion), the Vikings also marked 7 aces, 39 assists, and 48 digs.
Returning All-CCIW selections Lauren Wiltsie and Kajsa Meyer showcased why they were awarded such honors tonight. Wiltsie marked a match-best 13 kills and Meyer added 37 assists (bringing her total on the day to 69). Mia Riccolo also added 16 digs as the Vikings handled Britons in 3 sets (25-16, 25-23, 25-14).
"I think that our play steadied as we progressed through the afternoon" said Viking Head Coach Natalie Dietz. "Our defense and back court play was very impressive, allowing us to attack efficiently. I thought that we had a lot of strong performances and I'm excited to see what we can accomplish the rest of the weekend."
What's Next?
The Vikings finalize their participation in the U-Chicago Gargolye Tournament tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. where they will take on the Fightin' Engineers of Rose-Hulman.
