SANDUSKY, Ohio -- North Park University's women's volleyball continued their statement of a start to 2025, earning sweeping victories over Muskingum University (25-22, 26-24, 25-23) and Washington & Jefferson College (25-22, 25-21, 25-19).
Muskingum Recap
Senior middle blocker Riana Hayes enjoyed a breakout game in the first of two sweeps for the Vikings. Hayes stuffed Muskingum five times in just three sets, the seventh-best mark in program history and her first career entry in the NPU record book. Her three solo blocks also tied for fourth-most in an NPU match. Junior middle blocker Meg Rothermel joined in on the action with four blocks.
North Park opened the first set by scoring six-straight points thanks to kills from Rothermel, senior outside hitter Annaliese Rottman, and junior setter Kendal Britton, and a service ace from senior libero Carolina Aviles. They maintained control throughout, closing the set 25-22.
In the second set, the Vikings battled through four ties and two lead changes, ultimately pulling ahead with clutch kills from Rottman and Hayes to secure a 26-24 win.
The third set saw North Park jump to a 4-0 lead, again led by Rottman and Aviles. Despite a late push from Muskingum, the Vikings came out on top, sealing the match with a final kill from Hayes to win 25-23.
North Park had 42 kills against Muskingum's 26, holding the Fighting Muskies to a .035 hitting percentage.
Top Performers
- Rottman led the offensive charge with 13 kills, hitting .258
- Rothermel was contributed 8 kills and 4 blocks
- Hayes turned in a career performance with 6 kills on just 13 attempts (.462 hitting percentage) and 5 blocks
- Britton added 37 assists, adding 4 kills and 3 block assists
- Senior middle blocker Kharlie Simeona-French added 7 kills and 9 digs while Aviles anchored the back row with 21 digs and a pair of service aces.
- Aviles' 21 digs is tied for 10th best in a three-set match
Washington & Jefferson Recap
The Vikings extended their perfect start to the season with a decisive 3-0 sweep over the Washington & Jefferson College Presidents, handily winning all three sets to improve to 4-0 on the season. There was plenty of offense in this match – both teams hit. 200 or better with 81 kills between the two teams in three sets.
North Park opened the first set with a strong offensive rhythm, highlighted by a 5-0 run featuring kills from Rottman and Simeona-French alongside a service ace from Britton. They held off a late surge from W&J to take the set 25-22. The Presidents hit an impressive .353 with 14 kills and just two errors in the set, but NPU's 18 kills vaulted NPU ahead.
In the second set, North Park broke a mid-set tie with a 7-point run, fueled by three consecutive service aces from sophomore defensive specialist Cate Freeman and kills from sophomore outside hitter Payton Smith and Simeona-French. They closed out the set 25-21 on the back of a dozen kills.
The third set saw North Park maintain control throughout, with Smith and Rottman leading the attack. A final service ace from Britton sealed the 25-19 win and the match sweep.
North Park drove 11 aces in their fourth-straight win of the season, including four from Aviles and three from Freeman.
Top Performers
- Smith delivered a career performance with 14 kills on .385 hitting, leading the team with 14 points.
- Simeona-French contributed across the board with 10 kills, 13 digs, 4 blocks, and 15 total points.
- Rottman added 11 kills and hit .250
What's Next?
North Park (4-0) looks to the UW-River Falls Falcon Invite starting on September 5 against Bethel University. First serve is set for 3:00 PM CT.
