CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park University women's volleyball team fell to another ranked opponent, Hope College, in straight sets on Thursday night at Carlson Gymnasium, dropping a 25-21, 25-20, 25-16 decision.
Senior outside hitter Rian Hobbs led the Vikings with nine kills, while junior middle blocker Ivy Newville added seven kills and hit .375. Senior setter Kendal Britton recorded 20 assists and two service aces, and junior libero Xenia Gonzales collected a team-high 13 digs.
Hope was paced by Kamryn Burbridge, who posted 12 kills on a .706 hitting percentage and added five blocks. Brooke Hehl distributed 31 assists, while Kathryn Oates anchored the defense with a match-high 16 digs.
The opening set featured four ties before North Park seized momentum with a 7-0 run midway through the frame. Two service aces from junior defensive specialist Carmella Rio helped the Vikings turn an 8-8 deadlock into a 10-8 advantage, while kills from Hobbs and Newville extended the lead. Hope answered with an 8-2 surge behind the play of 2025 All-American Burbridge and Amelia Gagnon to move in front 16-12. North Park trimmed the deficit to 22-20 following a Newville kill, but Burbridge recorded two late kills as the Flying Dutch closed out the set, 25-21.
The Vikings jumped out quickly in the second set when Britton served consecutive aces for a 2-0 lead. Hope responded with an 8-1 run fueled by kills from Maddie Ostrander and Kiera Morrison to take a 12-5 advantage. North Park battled back behind kills from freshman middle blocker Reese Lackage, senior right-side hitter Grace Morrow, sophomore middle blocker Kayna Kanemoto, and Hobbs. A service ace from Newville cut the margin to 20-18, but Hope scored five of the final seven points, including two kills from Burbridge, to secure a 25-20 win.
Hope controlled the third set from the outset, racing to a 4-0 lead before extending its advantage to 18-10. Gagnon, Burbridge, and Kate VanderHill led the charge for the visitors, while North Park stayed within reach through kills from Hobbs and Kanemoto. Service aces from Hobbs and Newville sparked brief rallies, but Hope maintained command and finished the match with a 25-16 set victory.
Kanemoto finished with four kills for the Vikings, while Morrow and Lackage added two apiece. Rio also contributed two service aces in the loss. Hope hit .274 as a team and totaled 41 kills, while North Park recorded 24 kills and seven service aces.
What's Next?
North Park (3-6) returns to action with two more matches on Friday, September 18. The Vikings travel to Beloit, Wisconsin to take part in a tri-match with Beloit College and Rockfor University.
