CHICAGO, Ill. – Brilynd Pence and Jewel Schroeder each had 11 kills Tuesday night to lead North Park to a four-set win over Augustana at the NPU Gymnasium. The host Vikings improved to 1-1 on the year and in the CCIW, while the visiting Vikings dropped to 0-3 overall and in the league.
 
Kaitlyn Chess had a pair of service aces in a 5-0 North Park run that made it 9-2 in set one. Trailing 17-6, Augustana got two Laura Heuermann (Washington HS, Washington, Ill.) kills and two Olivia Doak (Crystal Lake Central HS, Crystal Lake, Ill.) aces in an 8-2 spree that cut the deficit to 19-14. However, NPU responded by taking six of the last eight points, with a Pence kill finishing off the 25-16 win.
 
There were five lead changes early in game two before the teams traded seven straight points. Augustana led 15-13 before North Park took three straight points to go back on top. Freshman Brook Fieldman (Plainfield East HS, Plainfield, Ill.) had a kill and an ace to put the guests in front 17-16, but after the teams swapped the next two points, North Park claimed four in a row to take the lead for good. The hosts got set point via an Augustana service error to win 25-21.
 
Coach Kelly Bethke's bunch rebounded to take the third set 25-20. NPU used a 6-0 run to lead 10-6 before three Heuermann kills keyed a 6-1 Augustana answer that gave the visitors a 13-12 edge. A 4-0 spurt later pushed the advantage to 19-15 and a Fieldman kill eventually closed out the set.
 
Fieldman and Doak had kills as Augustana jumped on top 7-3 in game three, but Christina Gatta responded with three of her own in an 8-2 North Park run that put the hosts up 11-9. Bethke's crew would trail until Fieldman had three kills in a 6-0 spree that put Augustana back in front 20-18. However, NPU took four of the next five points behind a pair of Schroeder kills and wouldn't trail again. Augustana pulled even at 23-all, but Kate Widman's kill put North Park ahead and match point came on a kill by Taylor Guy.
 
Fieldman and Heuermann led the way for Augustana offensively with 17 and 13 kills, respectively. Doak delivered 32 assists and Jessica Nguyen (Kaneland HS, Elburn, Ill.) posted 35 digs. Ja'Nya Davis (Narbonne HS, Los Angeles, Calif.) was in on five blocks.
 
Augustana is back in action on Thursday, March 18, traveling to Waukesha, Wisconsin to face Carroll in a 4:00 p.m. match at Van Male Field House.