CHICAGO, Ill. North Park University opened its hosted Windy City Invite with a Friday split inside Carlson Gymnasium, sweeping Kalamazoo College before falling to Wentworth Institute of Technology in a revers sweep. Senior outside hitter Rian Hobbs and junior outside hitter Maya Huelsman powered the Vikings' attack across the two matches.
North Park 3, Kalamazoo 0
North Park began the tournament with a 26-24, 25-12, 25-13 sweep of Kalamazoo. Hobbs set the tone immediately, putting away three kills among the Vikings' first eight points. Huelsman also made an early impact with two kills, while Ivy Newville added a service ace as the teams traded points throughout a tightly contested opening set.
Kalamazoo remained within striking distance behind Quaneice Dillard, Taylor Stephens and Cienna Nightingale, forcing North Park to play beyond 25 before the Vikings secured the 26-24 win. That narrow victory sparked NPU, which controlled the remainder of the match.
North Park held Kalamazoo to five kills and a negative hitting percentage in the second set, then limited the Hornets to eight kills and another negative percentage in the third. The Vikings recorded 14 kills in each of the first two sets before hitting .310 in the final frame.
Hobbs finished with a match-high 12 kills and five digs, while Huelsman supplied 11 kills without an attacking error. Mercy Osayemi added six kills and three block assists, Newville totaled four aces and four blocks, and Kendal Britton directed the offense with 23 assists. Tessa Wabiszewski led the back row with 12 digs and added three aces.
North Park held decisive advantages in kills, 40-26, aces, 12-3, and blocks, 6-2, while outhitting Kalamazoo .252 to .068. Dillard led the Hornets with eight kills and 10 digs, Ashley Zollman collected 15 digs and Makala Goddard distributed 23 assists.
Wentworth 3, North Park 2
The Vikings carried their momentum into the nightcap, using an early six-point run to take control against Wentworth. Hobbs sparked the surge with consecutive service aces before Huelsman added a kill, helping North Park build a 6-1 advantage.
North Park hit .370 in a 25-17 first-set victory and followed with a 25-19 win in the second to move within one set of completing a perfect opening day. Wentworth responded by taking the third set 25-22 and hitting .400 in a 25-18 fourth-set victory. The Leopards completed the comeback with a 15-7 win in the deciding set.
Hobbs capped her standout day with 22 kills, five aces and 11 digs, while Huelsman added 14 kills and two blocks. Britton totaled 49 assists, eight digs and two aces, Wabiszewski collected a team-leading 15 digs and Osayemi contributed 11 kills while hitting .391.
Kate McLane led Wentworth with 17 kills as the Leopards hit .290 for the match, including .375 in the deciding set.
Record Book Notes
- Hobbs' 5 aces ties for 10th all-time in an NPU five-set match
- NPU's 15 team aces ties for 9th all-time
- Huelsman (14) and Hobbs (22) establish new single-game career highs in Kills
What's Next?
North Park (2-3) chugs along in the Windy City Invite tomorrow, September 12, facing Eastern at 12:30pm before U-Chicago at 5:30pm to complete the Invite.
