Thanks to Gregory Sager for the historical notes
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – In a successful trip to Michigan, the North Park women's volleyball team went two-for-three at the Calvin Tournament this past weekend. The Vikings picked up a five-set win over No. 14 Hope College, swept Alma College, and lost in four sets to No. 5 Calvin University.
Keys to the Hope Win:
- Adriana Rodriguez sets a school record with 33 kills and 35.5 points
- Christina Gatta's 52 assists is good for sixth all-time and fourth-best in a five-set match
- 69 team kills is third-best in school history
- 11 service aces, including four by Gatta and three from Jenna Jones
- Raghen Walker blocks three attacks
- Kailyn Matthews and Rhianna Huebner with 16 and 11 kills, respectively
- Vikings post season-high .299 attacking percentage and 83 points
- Double-digit dig totals for Gatta (17), Jones (15), and Carolina Aviles (10)
Historical Info
Adriana Rodriguez's 33 kills breaks the school record of 32, set by Yaifeh Chafeh against Illinois College on Sept. 15, 2007. Rodriguez did not need to break the school record for attacks to accomplish this feat; her 70 attempts are three shy of the record set by Shelby Switzer against Catholic on Sept. 28, 2013.
Christina Gatta's 52 assists is tied for sixth-best all-time, and it's the fourth-best in a five-game set. It's one off of her personal record that she set at Carthage last October 16.
The 69 team kills for the Vikings is the third-best in school history, surpassed only by the 74 that they recorded against Concordia IL on Oct. 27, 2017 and the 72 that they notched against Kalamazoo on Oct. 12, 2018, both of which were also recorded in five-set matches. It's worth mentioning that neither was a nationally-ranked opponent.
Rodriguez' 35.5 points demolishes the old school record of 32 set by Shelby Switzer against Manchester on Sept. 6, 2013.
Keys to the Sweep:
- Rodriguez and Matthews with 16 and 13 kills, respectively
- Three more aces for Gatta as the Vikings total nine
- 51 team assists, including 44 assists in just three sets for Gatta
- 44 assists is the second-highest total ever in a three set match
- NPU defense holds Alma to just 20 kills while totaling 54 themselves
- 54 kills in three sets breaks the old school record of 53, set in the sweep of Carroll in Waukesha in the opening round of the 2018 CCIW tournament
Highlights Against Fifth-Ranked Calvin
- North Park matches or ties Calvin's kill totals in each set
- Set 1: 14-14, Set 2: 13-10, Set 3: 13-12
- Rodriguez with 17 kills, Huebner with nine
- Five service aces for Rodriguez
- Three blocks each for Debbie Dinkel and Huebner
- 32 assists in three sets for Gatta
- 16 digs each for Rodriguez, Aviles
- Vikings force extra action twice, 27-25 first set and 26-24 third set
- Rodriguez named to All-Tournament team for her stellar three matches
What's Next?
North Park (19-7, 4-2 CCIW) will host Lawrence University (1-22) this Tuesday, October 18. First serve in Chicago is set for 7pm.
