CHICAGO, Ill. – North Park ran through its hosted Windy City Invite with two more wins on Saturday, securing a four-match sweep thanks to 3-1 wins over Franklin College and Illinois College. Carolina Aviles, Riana Hayes, Meg Rothermel, and Kendal Britton were all named to the All-Tournament team thanks to their efforts in Chicago.
Vikings Over Grizzlies
North Park came out firing in the opening set against Franklin, riding a dominant service run by junior setter Kendal Britton, who delivered four service aces and assisted on multiple kills during a 10-0 run that put the Vikings in control early.
Senior outside hitter Annaliese Rottman and junior middle blocker Meg Rothermel combined for several key kills and blocks to close out the set.
The second set saw more back-and-forth action, with five ties and three lead changes. Senior outside hitter Shamyia Collier made her presence felt off the bench with a pair of kills, while Tessa Wabiszewski added two clutch service aces late to help seal the set.
Franklin responded in the third, capitalizing on North Park errors and strong play from Hope Moring to take the set 25-18. But the Vikings bounced back in the fourth, with senior libero Carolina Aviles serving two aces and sophomore outside hitter Payton Smith and Rottman delivering timely kills to give North Park its first 3-1 win of the day.
North Park out-hit Franklin .203 to .118 and tallied a season high 16 service aces to Franklin's 9.
Top Performers
- Annaliese Rottman – 19 kills (.390), 2 blocks, 20.0 points
- Kendal Britton – 34 assists, 7 service aces, 9 digs, 10.0 points
- Meg Rothermel – 5 kills (.286), 7 total blocks, 10.5 points
- Carolina Aviles – 18 digs, 2 service aces
- 3 blocks each for Franklin's Schroeder, Barnard, and Kinsey
Vikings Over Lady Blues
North Park opened its second and final match of the Invite with a dominant first set, fueled by a 5-0 run behind the serving of Aviles and important kills from Rothermel and Simeona-French. The Vikings capitalized on Illinois College errors and never trailed in the set, blazing ahead with a 25-14.
After dropping the second set, hitting an even .000 with only eight kills, North Park responded with authority in the third. Rothermel led the charge with three service aces and multiple kills, while Aviles added three consecutive aces to extend the lead. The Vikings hit an impressive .458 in the set.
In the fourth, Collier delivered a series of kills early, and Simeona-French closed the match with back-to-back kills, grabbing the Vikings' fourth-straight win.
North Park hit .474 in the final frame and held Illinois College to just four kills.
The Vikings finished with a season high .311 hitting percentage and hit a season second-best 15 service aces, while limiting Illinois College to a .183 attack percentage.
Top Performers
- Meg Rothermel – 10 kills (.625), 4 service aces, 2 blocks, 15.0 points
- Kharlie Simeona-French – 12 kills (.526), 6 digs, 1 ace, 13.5 points
- Shamyia Collier – 8 kills (.353), 8.0 points
- Carolina Aviles – 6 service aces, 12 digs
- Payton Smith – 7 kills (.500), 1 assist
- Kendal Britton – 35 assists, 7 digs, 2 service aces
Historical Notes
- Kendal Britton's 7 aces against Franklin is tied for 6th-most in all matches, and for 4th-most in four-set matches.
- Carolina Aviles's 6 aces against Illinois College is tied for 7th-most in four-set matches.
- Aviles has moved into 4th place on the career service aces list with 171. She trails Christina Gatta (287), Adriana Rodriguez (237), and Shannon Hampton (199).
- Meg Rothermel's 7 blocks against Franklin is tied for 5th-most in all matches, and for 4th-most in four-set matches.
- NPU's 16 team serving aces against Franklin is tied for 6th-most in four-set matches, and NPU's 15 team serving aces against Illinois College is tied for 8th-most in the same category.
- NPU's 8 team blocks against Franklin is tied for 9th-most in four-set matches.
What's Next?
North Park (10-2) opens CCIW play at Elmhurst University (4-7) on Wednesday, September 17. First serve at R.A. Faganel Hall is set for 6:00 PM CT.
