CHICAGO, Ill. – The North Park University Women's Volleyball team opened the 2025 season with a perfect 4-0 record, positioning themselves well for their second tournament of the year: the Falcon Invite, hosted by the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. The Vikings have four matches set to be played through Friday and Saturday.

Two Vikings earned recognition from the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) this week. Junior setter Kendal Britton was named Setter of the Week, while senior outside hitter Annaliese Rottman earned Hitter of the Week honors. Britton averaged 11.23 assists per set across four matches, including a career-high 47 assists against Wooster. Rottman also posted a career-best 22 kills in that match and maintained a .245 hitting percentage over the weekend.

As of Wednesday evening, North Park ranks among the national leaders in several statistical categories in NCAA Division III Volleyball:

• 8th in Attacks per Set (40.69)
• 10th in Assists per Set (13.15)
• 12th in Kills per Set (14.08)

Individually:

• Britton ranks 5th nationally in Assists per Set (11.23)
• Senior libero Carolina Aviles ranks 19th in Service Aces (14), 22nd in Digs (75), and 22nd in Digs per Set (5.77)
• Rottman ranks 30th in Kills per Set (4.33)

Falcon Invite Schedule and Preview

Friday, September 5

• 3:00 PM CT – Bethel University (1-2)
  Bethel has suffered two sweeps this season against NCAA tournament regulars Northwestern (MN) and Coe, but picked up a win over host UW–River Falls. Key players include sophomore outside hitter Hannah Penke (27 kills, 31 digs) and junior middle blocker Peyton Howie (24 kills, 3 blocks). The Royals finished 20–9 last season, falling in five sets to St. Catherine in the MIAC Semifinals.

• 7:00 PM CT – UW-River Falls (0-3)
  The Falcons are winless so far, with losses to Coe, Bethel, and Northwestern (MN). Junior outside hitter Lauren Noth averages 3.25 kills per set (39 total) with a .217 hitting percentage. Junior middle blocker Blessing Adebisi has recorded 11 blocks. North Park defeated River Falls in a five-set thriller last season (Sept. 1, 2023). The Falcons went 20–10 in 2023, reaching the WIAC Semifinals, but dropped to 12–20 in 2024.

Saturday, September 6

• 11:00 AM CT – rv Nebraska Wesleyan (3-1)
  The Prairie Wolves have three dominant wins and a narrow five-set loss to College of Saint Benedict. They received votes in the latest AVCA Division III Top 25 Poll. Nebraska Wesleyan ranks 12th in total assists (193) and 16th in kills (201). Junior setter Elecea Saathoff ranks 6th nationally with 165 assists. The team finished 21–9 in 2024, falling to Dubuque in the ARC Semifinals.

• 1:00 PM CT – Simpson College (3-0)
  Simpson is undefeated, winning all three matches in straight sets. The Storm ranks 14th nationally in team hitting percentage (.279) and 25th in opponent hitting percentage (.047). Senior middle blocker Peyton Mitchell ranks in the top five nationally with a .585 hitting percentage on 41 attempts, along with 7 blocks and 10 aces. Simpson went 9–16 last season, including a ranked win over then-No. 21 Cornell.