Picture credit: Dr. Jeff Nelson
ST. LOUIS, Mo. -- The North Park University women's volleyball team opened up its season at the WashU Invitational, splitting a pair of matches with Webster University and Westminster College. The Vikings topped Webster, 3-2, in come-from-behind fashion and lost to Westminster in straight sets.
MATCH ONE: North Park 3, Webster 2 (22-25, 20-25, 25-22, 25-22, 17-15)
In the opening set, the Vikings and Gorloks traded points to the tune of a 10-9 North Park lead. However, Webster responded with an 8-2 run to jump ahead 17-12.
The Gorloks would hold steady through the set, winning 25-22.
Webster grabbed a 4-3 lead in set two and charged ahead once more, never losing the lead, as the Gorloks won 25-20.
Despite the slow start, the Vikings woke up in the third set.
North Park powered ahead to an 11-4 lead after a pair of kills by Kailyn Matthews, a Gorlok attacking error, and a kill by Margaret Roou.
Yet, the Gorloks weren't going to make it easy.
Webster took advantage of some attacking errors by the Vikings, eventually tying the set at 15 all. Now trailing 17-20 after kills by Webster's Lauren Borik, Coach Mike Sopocy called a much-needed timeout as the Vikings gathered themselves.
Following the timeout, Matthews ripped a pair of kills, Roou sent in a service ace, and the Gorloks committed three errors as the Vikings regained a 23-20 lead.
Seniors Kajsa Meyer and Bethany Geidner would finish the set with a pair of kills to give the Vikings a 25-22 set victory.
North Park utilized another burst in the fourth set of the match, as four different Vikings – Matthews twice, Meyer, Geidner, and Reagan Clement – drove unanswered kills in the middle of the set to gain a 12-7 lead. The Vikings would hold on to this momentum, never losing the lead, to take set four by a score of 25-22.
In the final set of the match, North Park and Webster saw five lead changes.
Knotted up at 15 all, the Vikings got some help from a Gorlok attack error before freshman middle blocker Emily Nytko marked the game-winning kill to seal the Vikings' first win of the season.
Quick Hits:
- Freshman Kailyn Matthews had a huge first match of her career for the Vikings, leading all players with 22 kills.
MATCH TWO: North Park 0, Westminster 3 (21-25, 20-25, 21-25)
Unfortunately, the Vikings struggled to keep their leads in the second match of the night.
Despite a 10-6 Viking lead in the first set, the Blue Jays flipped the script with an 8-1 run in the middle of the set to grab a 21-15 lead. Westminster went on to take the first set, 25-21.
In the second set, North Park took a 4-1 lead that did not last. Utilizing a 10-1 scoring streak, Westminster pulled ahead, 17-11.
A couple of Blue Jay errors and kills by Matthews and Tomuta brought the Vikings closer at 18-20, but the Blue Jays held on to earn the set victory, 25-20.
Westminster finished the Vikings in the third set, 25-21, thanks to a .310 hitting percentage with 18 kills.
Quick Hits:
What's Next?
North Park (1-1) will face Fontbonne University tomorrow, August 31, at 10:30 a.m. before facing host WashU at 12:30 p.m.
