Skip To Main Content

North Park University Athletics

VBcellymillikin22cciw
0
Millikin MIL-U 23-10,5-3 CCIW
3
Winner North Park NPU 21-8,5-3 CCIW
Millikin MIL-U
23-10,5-3 CCIW
0
Final
3
North Park NPU
21-8,5-3 CCIW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Millikin MIL-U 24 22 18 (0)
North Park NPU 26 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | Tyler Woolbright

Viking Volleyball Sweeps Millikin, Advances to CCIW Championship Match

First CCIW Championship appearance for Viking Volleyball in program history

Thanks to Paige Wilcox for the pictures

CHICAGO, Ill. – In front of one of the most energetic crowds a women's volleyball match on the campus of North Park University has seen, the second-seeded Vikings swept the Millikin Big Blue in the Semifinals of the CCIW Tournament (26-24, 25-22, 25-18).

A 6-1 start for the Big Blue in the opening set did not represent the would-be final score, as Vikings went on a 5-1 run to get within a point at 8-7. This pattern kept up through the first set, as the two teams would be knotted up at 23 each. Millikin threatened with a 24-23 go-ahead kill, but three-straight kills by Adriana Rodriguez gave the Vikings a 26-24 win.

In the second set, once more, the Vikings were forced to battle back. The Big Blue captured a 12-11 lead before taking eight of the next nine points. However, kills by Kailyn Matthews, Rhianna Huebner, Christina Gatta, and Rodriguez, coupled with a Carolina Aviles service ace helped the Vikings explode ahead, 23-21. Millikin got one point back on an Addison Oyer kill, but a Big Blue service error and kill by Rodriguez put the Vikings one set away from a sweep with a 25-22 second-set win.

Saving its best performance for last, North Park turned in a .313 attacking percentage with just three errors in the final set of the night. The killshot, sweeping point arrived from Raghen Walker, as the Vikings advanced to the CCIW Championship Match for the first time in program history.

WalkerattackMill22cciw


Quick Hits:

  • Rodriguez led all attackers with 21 kills in just three sets, the seventh-highest three-set total in program history
  • Walker attacks at a career-high .625 clip; no errors and five kills 
  • Vikings' 74 digs is the third-most ever in a three set match
  • Gatta turns in five aces and 34 assists 
  • Aviles adds a pair of aces and 26 digs
    • 26 digs is good for third-most ever in a three set match
  • Three blocks for Huebner


Gatta Vaults to the Top:

Gatta's five aces tonight helped her break the all-time record of service aces in a career. The new number to beat, that will likely grow this Saturday, is now set at 203.


What's Next?

North Park (22-8) advances to the CCIW Tournament Championship match this coming Saturday, November 5. Top-seeded Carthage College will play host to the 4:00 PM CST match inside Tarble Arena in Kenosha, Wisconsin.


Print Friendly Version