BELOIT, Wis. -- The North Park women's volleyball team put together a perfect day at the Beloit Triangular on Friday, sweeping Beloit College before claiming a four-set victory over Rockford University. The Vikings moved to 5-6 on the season with the two wins.
North Park opened the day with a 25-20, 25-19, 27-25 victory over Beloit. Senior outside hitter Rian Hobbs led the way with nine kills and two service aces, while freshman opposite Gia Sylvestre added eight kills and four block assists. Junior middle blocker Ivy Newville hit .600 with six kills, and senior setter Kendal Britton distributed 35 assists.
The first set featured several momentum swings before the Vikings took control late. Tied at 15-15, North Park used kills from Hobbs, Newville, Maya Huelsman, and Mercy Osayemi to build separation. A Hobbs service ace extended the advantage, and Newville's kill closed out the opening-frame victory.
North Park seized control midway through the second set after a 9-9 tie. Hobbs ignited a lengthy service run that helped the Vikings turn a one-point lead into an 18-13 advantage. Senior right-side Grace Morrow and sophomore right-side Kayna Kanemoto contributed key kills during the stretch, while Sylvestre and Hobbs continued to pressure the Buccaneers' defense.
The third set proved to be the most competitive of the match. Beloit used a 6-0 run to erase an early deficit and eventually grabbed a 25-24 lead. Facing set point, the Vikings responded with a Beloit attack error, a Britton service ace, and another Buccaneer attacking miscue to complete the sweep. Freshman middle blocker Reese Lackage delivered several timely points late in the set, helping North Park secure the victory.
Beloit's top performers included Daniela Perez, who recorded nine kills, and Naomi Murphy, who added seven.
In the nightcap, North Park defeated Rockford 25-12, 22-25, 26-24, 25-12.
Hobbs turned in a dominant performance with 19 kills while hitting .444. Britton added 36 assists, Newville tallied eight kills and three service aces, and junior defensive specialist Carmella Rio paced the defense with 15 digs. Lackage provided seven kills off the bench.
The Vikings controlled the opening set from start to finish. Back-to-back service aces from junior defensive specialist/libero Xenia Gonzales helped spark a 5-0 run that pushed North Park ahead 8-3. Later, Newville served the Vikings to four consecutive points as the lead ballooned to 16-7. Rockford never recovered as North Park cruised to a 25-12 win.
Rockford responded in the second set, racing out to a 7-0 lead behind strong serving from Isabella Valdes. The Regents stretched their advantage to 18-8 before North Park mounted a late charge. Kills from Hobbs, Newville, Kanemoto, and Lackage helped trim the deficit to 24-22, but Rockford held on to even the match.
The third set delivered the day's most dramatic volleyball. Neither side led by more than three points through the final half of the frame. Trailing 24-22 and facing set point, North Park rallied behind a kill from Morrow and consecutive Rockford attacking errors. Newville then delivered the decisive kill to complete a four-point run and give the Vikings a 26-24 comeback victory.
North Park carried that momentum into the fourth set. Behind the serving of sophomore libero Tessa Wabiszewski, the Vikings scored nine of the first 11 points to build an 11-2 lead. Consecutive aces from Newville later extended the margin to 18-5, and kills from Hobbs, Lackage, and Newville helped finish off the 25-12 win.
Rockford was led by Jalyn Rhodes' 10 kills, while Emmerson Heun and Ashley Mersch each added five.
Across the two victories, Hobbs totaled 28 kills, Britton recorded 71 assists, and the Vikings showcased balanced contributions throughout the lineup as they completed an undefeated day in Beloit.
What's Next?
North Park (5-6) finally moves into conference play on Friday, September 25, hosting Augustana College in Chicago.
