DECATUR, Ill. -- The North Park Women's Volleyball team had the No. 9-ranked Millikin University Big Blue on the ropes multiple times on Wednesday night, but ultimately lost in three close sets (22-25, 25-27, 22-25). Senior outside hitter Adriana Rodriguez became North Park's all-time kills leader in the match, climbing to 1,741 in her four-year career.
The Vikings trailed the Big Blue early in the first set, as Millikin gained a steady 10-6 lead inside the Griswold Center. However, senior opposite hitter Kharlie Simeona-French would serve a five-point scoring run, putting NPU ahead 11-10. In that run, Simeona-French tallied a pair of aces while offensive support came from kills by sophomore middle blocker Meg Rothermel, junior outside hitter Annaliese Rottman, and a timely dump kill by sophomore setter Kendal Britton.
However, Milikin would take the lead back, only letting NPU tie things briefly at 15-15 before keeping a two-point lead for most of the set to win, 25-22.
The second set featured six ties and four lead changes. However, most of this would happen late in the set. Millikin took a 3-2 lead and kept it all the way to a 21-20-point advantage, where kills by Rothermel and Rodriguez and a Millikin attacking error put North Park up, 22-21. A block by Britton gave the Vikings a two-point advantage, 23-21, but blocks by Millikin's Gracie Shaffer and Kyra Carothers in the next two rallies tied the set at 23 all.
Carothers secured a kill before a service error kept it tied at 24-24. Millikin's Delaney Higgins drove a kill that was responded by one from Rodriguez to keep the score tied at 25 all before a kill by Millikin's Addison Oyer and a double block by the Big Blue's Higgins and Sophia Gibbs gave them a 27-25 win.
North Park fought all the way through another competitive third set that saw 15 tie scores and eight lead changes. However, Millikin's blocking would shine, beating the Vikings 25-22 in the final set of the night.
Rodriguez led all players with 17 kills and 10 digs, the only player for either side with a double-double. Sophomore outside hitter Rian Hobbs set a career high with 12 digs. Rothermel hit .375 on the evening with nine kills. Millikin's Carothers had three solo blocks and a pair of block assists while leading the Big Blue with 11 kills and a .412 hitting percentage.
Historical Notes
- Rodriguez becomes North Park's all-time kills leader with 1,741, passing previous record holder Shelby Switzer's 1,736.
- Rodriguez also became the eighth player in CCIW history to surpass the 2,000-point mark.
- 49 attacks for Rodriguez are good for fourth-best in three-set matches for NPU Volleyball.
What's Next?
North Park (11-11, 2-4 CCIW) makes a weekend trip to Iowa for three matches. The Iowa trip starts with a match at the University of Dubuque's (18-8, 4-1 ARC) Stoltz Sports Center this coming Friday, Oct. 25, at 6:00 PM CT.
