SEWANEE, Tenn. -- North Park Women's Volleyball secured its first victory of the 2026 season Saturday morning, rallying from a one-set deficit to defeat Sewanee in four sets at Juhan Gymnasium. The Vikings won by scores of 20-25, 28-26, 25-22 and 25-22, improving to 1-2 on the season. North Park totaled 44 kills, seven service aces, 57 digs and eight team blocks while limiting Sewanee to a .043 hitting percentage, enjoying a win before hosting the annual NPU Invite next weekend.
Freshman opposite hitter Gia Sylvestre paced the North Park offense with a match and career-high 12 kills on 24 swings, hitting .208 and adding two block assists. Senior outside hitter Rian Hobbs followed with nine kills, while senior opposite hitter Mercy Osayemi delivered an efficient six kills on 13 attacks for a match-best .385 hitting percentage. Osayemi also contributed three total blocks.
Senior setter Kendal Britton directed the comeback with 35 assists, four service aces and 10 digs, completing a double-double. Sophomore libero Tessa Wabiszewski led all Vikings with 15 digs, and junior middle blocker Ivy Newville posted a team-best four block assists while adding five kills.
North Park responded to an early 5-2 Sewanee lead with four straight points, three of which came with Newville at the service line. Sylvestre opened that surge with a kill, Sewanee followed with an attacking error and senior outside hitter Grace Morrow put North Park in front, 6-5, with a kill.
Later in the set, Sewanee built a 15-10 advantage before freshman defensive specialist Remy Hoyt helped the Vikings knot things up. After a Hobbs kill earned the sideout, Hoyt held service during a four-point North Park run. Hoyt opened her turn with an ace, junior outside hitter Maya Huelsman followed with a kill and consecutive Viking blocks tied the set at 15. Newville joined Morrow on the first block and combined with Huelsman on the second.
Sewanee regained control, however, using a late 5-1 stretch to pull ahead 20-16 before closing the first set, 25-20.
North Park faced its largest deficit of the match early in the second set when Sewanee scored the first five points, including three service aces. Britton immediately slowed the run with a kill, then stepped behind the line and served consecutive aces to cut the deficit to 5-3.
Sewanee later stretched its lead to 13-6 and remained in front, 17-12, before the Vikings began working their way back. A Hobbs kill brought serving duites back to North Park, and another Britton ace made it 17-14. Trailing 18-15 moments later, Hoyt held service as two Sewanee errors brought the Vikings within one at 18-17.
The key push came with North Park down 22-19. A Sewanee attacking error gave NPU the sideout before junior defensive specialist Xenia Gonzales held service for kills by Sylvestre and Huelsman, tying the set at 22. The teams then traded points through six additional ties.
Trailing 26-25, Britton delivered a the tying kill. The senior setter remained at the service line for the final two points, and Hobbs finished both rallies with kills set by Britton as North Park completed the comeback, 28-26. The Vikings hit .222 in the set with 13 kills and only five attacking errors.
The third set featured 11 ties and six lead changes, but North Park produced several short, timely scoring runs.
With the Vikings trailing 4-3, Newville served three straight North Park points. She began the run with an ace before Huelsman and Osayemi each produced a block, sending NPU in front, 6-4.
Later, the teams exchanged the lead several times before Hoyt took over at the service line with the score tied at 13. Osayemi put North Park ahead with a kill, then combined with Newville on a block before Newville added a kill to complete a three-point run and establish a 16-13 lead.
North Park added another important three-point swing after Sewanee narrowed the margin to 16-15. An Osayemi-Newville block earned the point, and Newville held service as a Sewanee error and an Osayemi kill extended the lead to 19-15.
Sewanee made one final charge, pulling even at 22, but the Vikings closed the set with three consecutive points. A service error gave NPU the lead before Wabiszewski served the final two rallies, which ended on a Sewanee attacking error and a Hobbs kill. North Park took the set, 25-22, and moved in front two sets to one.
North Park carried its momentum into the fourth, scoring the first seven points of the set.
A Sewanee service error supplied the opening point before Britton took over at the line. During Britton's six-point service turn, Hobbs delivered a kill, Sewanee committed an attacking error and Osayemi followed with a kill. Newville then found the floor, a Sewanee setting error moved the score to 6-0 and Osayemi capped the run with another kill for a 7-0 advantage. Four of the seven points came on Viking kills, three of which were assisted by Britton.
Sewanee recovered and eventually erased the early deficit, tying the set at 10 before moving ahead 12-11. North Park answered with three straight points. A Sewanee error tied the score, and Wabiszewski held service for another Tiger error and a Hobbs kill, putting the Vikings back in front, 14-12.
The Tigers later took a 17-15 lead, but North Park again responded. After a Sewanee error returned service to the Vikings, Newville served during consecutive points from Sylvestre, first a kill and then a block alongside Huelsman. That burst pushed North Park ahead, 19-18.
With the set tied at 21, Sylvestre supplied a crucial kill for a 22-21 edge. Sophomore defensive specialist Carmella Rio then held service as a Sewanee setting error and a Hobbs kill moved the Vikings to match point at 24-21.
Following a Sewanee sideout, Sylvestre put away Britton's final set to close the 25-22 win and North Park's first victory of the season.
North Park's defense was especially effective across the final three sets. The Vikings held Sewanee to .093 hitting in the second, -.030 in the third and .061 in the fourth. North Park also produced four blocks in the pivotal third set.
Quick Hits
- Freshman opposite hitter Gia Sylvestre led the match with 12 kills and totaled 13 points, career highs
- Senior setter Kendal Britton posted 35 assists, 10 digs, four aces and three kills.
- Senior outside hitter Rian Hobbs finished with nine kills and five digs.
- Senior opposite hitter Mercy Osayemi hit .385 with six kills and three total blocks.
- Sophomore libero Tessa Wabiszewski paced North Park with 15 digs.
- Junior middle blocker Ivy Newville led NPU with four block assists and added five kills.
- North Park finished with advantages in kills, 44-41; digs, 57-47; and blocks, 8-5.
- The match included 32 ties and 16 lead changes inside a very warm Juhan Gym
What's Next?
North Park (1-2) looks to its annual NPU Invite, hosting six teams and eleven matches next Friday, September 11 through Saturday, September 12. The Vikings open play at their hosted Invite against Kalamazoo College at 11:00 AM CT.
