CHICAGO, Ill. – North Park University battled back from the brink in the fourth set but ultimately fell to Carthage College 3-1 (25-23, 18-25, 25-16, 27-25) in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin action Friday night inside Carlson Gymnasium.
Senior outside hitter Rian Hobbs led North Park with 14 kills, while senior middle blocker Meg Rothermel added 11 kills on an efficient .474 hitting percentage. Sophomore opposite hitter Kayna Kanemoto also finished with 11 kills. Senior setter Kendal Britton, who was celebrated before the match for surpassing 2,000 career assists, paced the offense with 43 assists, and junior libero Xenia Gonzales recorded a team-high 15 digs.
Carthage was led by Kristina Manojlovic with 20 kills, while Emma Crow contributed 10 and Hailey Wierzgac added eight on a .615 hitting percentage.
The Firebirds grabbed an early advantage in the opening set before North Park answered with strong serving and defensive play to stay within striking distance. Trailing 24-17, the Vikings mounted a dramatic 6-0 run behind the serving of Gonzales, getting kills from Hobbs, Rothermel, and junior middle blocker Ivy Newville to pull within one. Carthage, however, secured the final point to escape with a 25-23 victory.
North Park responded in the second set. A six-point run midway through the frame turned a two-point deficit into a four-point lead, with junior defensive specialist Grace Rapacz guiding the Vikings from the service line. North Park maintained control from there and evened the match with a 25-18 set win. Rapacz had a pair of aces and 4 digs, keeping the Firebirds out of rythym whenever she was at the service line.
Carthage regained momentum in the third set, opening on a 6-0 run and hitting .476 as a team en route to a 25-16 victory.
The fourth set featured several lead changes and nearly saw a 24-20 comeback for North Park. The Vikings trailed 24-20 before putting together a four-point surge to tie the score at 24-24. North Park also fought off another match point to keep the set alive, but Carthage won the final two points to claim a 27-25 win and close out the match.
What's Next?
North Park (8-12, 0-4 CCIW) heads to the U-Chicago Tri on Saturday, October 17, for a pair of matches with Westminster and UC-Santa Cruz.
