CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park women's volleyball team took Wheaton to 5 sets on Wednesday evening, eventually losing to the Thunder 3 sets to 2. The loss moves the Vikings to 2-2 in CCIW play with a 15-5 overall record.
The Vikings opened with a stellar 1st set, winning 25-18 and committing just 4 errors. They would struggle offensively from there on out, however, registering a .085 hitting percentage across the whole match compared to Wheaton's .191. The 3 of the Vikings lost sets saw them hit at a .000 or worse clip. Credit is due to the Wheaton frontline defense who picked up 18 blocks over the course of 5 sets.
Adriana Rodriguez was the only Viking with double-digit kills, marking 23. Rhianna Huebner placed second with 9 and maintained a team-best .333 hitting percentage, while Christina Gatta played a role in a majority of the teams kills with 41 assists. Service was the most consistent facet of the Vikings offense in this matchup, with the team generating 11 aces. Jenna Jones led with 4 with Carolina Aviles and Abby Ames recording multiple aces as well.
Defensively, North Park managed 5 blocks against Wheaton's attack, with Rhianna Huebner pacing the team with 3. The backline managed 67 total digs, and it was Carolina Aviles again leading the way with 17. Jenna Jones and Adriana Rodriguez weren't far behind with 14 and 13, respectively.
The Vikings will have the chance to bounce back over .500 in conference play when they visit Carroll on Saturday, October 8th,, with game time set for 2:00 P.M. The Pioneers sit at 1-4 in CCIW play with 9-10 overall record.
