GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. -- North Park Women's Volleyball swept through its participation of the Calvin Invite on Saturday afternoon, earning a 3-2 win over Heidelberg University before sweeping Cornell College in straight sets.
The Vikings' first match, against the Student Princes, featured 17 ties and 10 lead changes. North Park (13-2, 1-0 CCIW) opened strong and closed even stronger, rallying in the fourth and fifth sets to secure the victory. Heidelberg (9-7, 0-0 OAC) won sets two and three behind a balanced attack but could not keep up with the Vikings' potent service game.
The match was highlighted by standout performances on both sides. North Park's offense was led by junior middle blocker Meg Rothermel, who tallied 16 kills and 18 points, while senior outside hitter Shamyia Collier added 13 kills and junior setter Kendal Britton orchestrated the attack with 46 assists. Defensively, senior libero Carolina Aviles contributed 17 digs and 3 service aces.
For Heidelberg, Sophia Simon led the team with 11 kills and 13 points, while Gabby Wolfe and Kaitlyn Uffman each added 7 and 6 kills respectively, combining for 16 total blocks. Setter Olivia Miller distributed 18 assists and added 8 digs.
North Park hit .412 with 16 kills in a pivotal set four and held Heidelberg to only four kills and a .063 hitting percentage in the deciding set. The Vikings' 61 kills in the five-set win tied a season high, matching their total against Wooster back in August.
Match two for the Vikings, against the Rams, was a completely different pace. North Park controlled the tempo from the start, hitting an impressive .287 as a team and racking up 11 service aces. The Vikings' defense was equally sharp, recording 44 digs and limiting Cornell to a .021 hitting percentage.
Leading the offensive charge once more for North Park was Collier, who posted 11 kills and a season-high .524 hitting percentage. Senior middle blocker Kharlie Simeona-French added 6 kills and 4 aces, while Aviles anchored the back row with 12 digs and 5 service aces, bringing her season total to 43.
Cornell College (4-7) struggled to find rhythm but saw strong efforts from Mia Tubbs, who led the team with 8 kills. Ella Becker contributed 13 digs to help the defense.
What's Next?
North Park (14-2, 1-0 CCIW) returns to College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) action on Friday, September 26 with a home match against Carroll University (5-5, 0-1 CCIW). First serve in Carlson Gym is set for 7:00 PM CT.
