Bloomington, Il., – The Vikings battled against Illinois Wesleyan University this afternoon, and despite keeping every set within a three-point margin and a standout performance from Josiah Walker, the Vikings (1-16, 0-5 CCIW) ultimately fell in straight sets to the Titans (16-4, 4-1 CCIW) by identical scores of 22-25, 22-25, and 22-25.
North Park came out of the gate with high energy, jumping to a 12-7 lead following a kill by Josiah Walker and an attack error from the Titans. Gerald Buhain Malana and Giovannin Serafini helped maintain the lead with timely kills mid-set. However, the Titans, a team receiving votes in national poll rankings, utilized a late 5-1 run to reclaim the lead and secure the opening frame 25-22.
The second set was the most contested of the afternoon, featuring a staggering 17 ties and seven lead changes throughout. The Vikings' offense was at its most efficient in this frame, hitting .280 as a team, while Isaac Vroom and Jonah Johnsamson provided key sparks at the net and Kevin Motallebi distributed 31 assists throughout the match. Despite the back-and-forth, IWU managed to pull away at the very end to take another 25-22 victory.
In the final set, North Park again showed their resilience. Serafini was a force at the net, recording a solo block and three block assists in the match, frustrating the Titan hitters. Walker continued his offensive tear, finishing with a team-high 11 kills. The Vikings trailed just 22-23 late in the set after an IWU service error, but the Titans closed the match with a final block to end the Viking comeback attempt.
The Vikings stay on the road for their next game, traveling to St. Norbert College on Thursday, March 12th.
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