North Park University Athletics

CHICAGO, IL., -- The Vikings battled against the Thunder of Wheaton College in a CCIW conference matchup, rallying twice to extend the contest to a decisive fifth set, however the Thunder bested North Park 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-15, 20-25, 15-8).

North Park finished the match with 55 kills and a .217 hitting percentage while recording 75 digs and six total blocks.  Setter Kendal Britton orchestrated the offense with 46 assists, 16 digs, three aces, and a block assist, providing a strong performance for the Vikings.  Defensively, libero Xenia Gonzales anchored the back row with a match-high 23 digs, while Tessa Wabiszewski added 14 digs and Grace Rapacz with 11.  After Wheaton claimed the opening set 25-21, the Vikings responded with one of their best stretches of the night behind strong play at the net from Meg Rothermel and a service run from Britton that included back-to-back aces.  North Park built a lead and held off a late Thunder run to earn a 25-23 victory with key kills from Jada Clark, Mercy Osayemi, and Maya Huelsman.  

Wheaton regained momentum in the third, hitting a scorching .464 as a team en route to their 25-15 victory.  The Thunder used a pair of extended service runs and capitalized on several opportunities to gain the 2-1 advantage.  Not done yet, the Vikings got out to an early lead in the fourth and never allowed Wheaton to recover.  Huelsman put down five kills in the frame and the set clinching point, while Clark, Osayemi, and Rothermel had timely points throughout the set to secure the 25-20 set win and force a fifth.  

In the fifth, North Park trailed 6-5 before Wheaton piecd together a huge run to pull away with a 15-8 win.  Rothermel finished with 13 kills, hitting .438 and adding four total blocks.  Huelsman recorded a double-digit effort of her own with 14 kills, six digs, and a block assist.  Osayemi and Clark finished with a strong 9 and 8 kills respectively, with Clark posting 2 blocks as well. Together, the quartet accounted for 44 of North Park's 55 kills on the evening.

What's Next?

The Vikings (8-17, 0-7) have a quick turnaround, hosting Moody Bible on Friday, October 30th for their last home game of the 2026 regular season.  The match is set to start at 7pm.