CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park's national kills leader Adriana Rodriguez continues to add to the Viking trophy case as she was named the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Region 8 Player of the Year on Thursday afternoon. Rodriguez was one of three CCIW student-athletes named to the All-Region team, alongside Illinois Wesleyan's Taylor French and Millikin's Sophie Howell. This is the first All-Region honoree for Viking Volleyball and, therefore, the first Regional Player of the Year.

Rodriguez notched first-team All-CCIW honors for the second time in her career and picked up Offensive Player of the Year honors after showcasing as the top attacker in Division III volleyball for most of the regular season. Rodriguez earned the CCIW kills title with 5.08 kills per set, including a 4.81 average against CCIW opponents. Her 4.81 average was nearly an entire kill per set ahead of the second-place finisher, while her 154 kills in league action was ahead of the second-place finisher by a mark of 31. Additionally, Rodriguez tallied 11 aces, 117 digs, and seven blocks in league action. She had 15-or-more kills against every CCIW opponent this season, including a 26-kill performance at North Central on October 28.

Rodriguez drove 21 kills in both the CCIW semifinal and championship matches, including hitting at a .419 pace against Millikin. Additionally, in the tournament, she totaled four aces, 32 digs, and a block.

Rodriguez and the Vikings are just hours away from participating in their first-ever NCAA Tournament match.