CHICAGO, Ill. -- In a match that looked like five sets from the start, the North Central Cardinals emerged victorious over North Park Women's Volleyball in straight sets (25–23, 25–14, 25–23) Wednesday night inside Carlson Gym.
Despite the sweep, North Park kept the pressure on, especially in the first and third sets, which featured a combined 13 ties and 8 lead changes. The Vikings' attack was led by senior outside hitter Shamyia Collier, who posted 8 kills and 11 total points, and junior middle blocker Meg Rothermel, who added 7 kills and 4 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Payton Smith also contributed 9 kills with an impressive .389 hitting percentage.
Junior setter Kendal Britton, the reigning and three-time CCIW Setter of the Week, guided the offense with 29 assists and chipped in 6 digs and 2 service aces. Defensively, senior libero Carolina Aviles anchored the back row with 10 digs, while senior middle blocker Riana Hayes added 6 kills and 2 blocks.
North Central's balanced attack proved decisive. Danni Moser led all players with 12 kills while Lauren Benson was a force at the net with 9 kills and 3 blocks. Sarah Lezon added 10 kills and hit .316, and Abbie Laynecontributed 5 kills and 4 block assists.
Setter Sarah Harvey was the engine behind the Cardinals' offense, dishing out 36 assists and adding 3 digs and 2 blocks. Libero Aleesa Zebold led the defense with 10 digs, while Katie Godo and Demi Carpio combined for 14 digs and 4 service aces.
Top Performers
North Park
North Central
- Danni Moser: 12 kills, 8 digs
- Lauren Benson: 9 kills, .571 hitting, 3 blocks.
- Sarah Lezon: 10 kills, .316 hitting, 2 blocks.
- Sarah Harvey: 36 assists, 2 blocks, 3 digs.
- Aleesa Zebold: 10 digs, 1 ace.
What's Next?
North Park (16-4, 2-2 CCIW) steps out of CCIW play for a pair of matches at Wisconsin-Platteville on Friday, October 10. The Vikings play Simpson in a neutral site match at 3:00 PM before host UW-Platteville at 5:00 PM CT.
