PALATINE, Ill. – The Harper College volleyball team hosted a tri-match on Friday inside the Wellness & Sports Center. The Hawks (17-8) split the two matches they played, defeating Olivet Nazarene University JV in the afternoon before losing to Kishwaukee College in the nightcap.

Harper vs. Olivet Nazarene University JV

Harper defeated the Olivet Nazarene University Tigers in four sets, 25-20, 16-25, 25-14, 25-18.

The Hawks and Tigers were tied multiple times in the first set. Tied at 10-10, the Hawks used a 9-3 run to take command and held on for a victory. Offensively, Daniele Sortino (Elk Grove Village, Ill. /Elk Grove) and Sarah Berggren (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) each had three kills. On the defensive end, libero Meghan Chartier (Inverness, Ill./Buffalo Grove) and Kayla Mayer (/Wauconda) each pitched in six digs, and Chartier was 8-of-8 serving with an ace.

The second set started at 3-3 before Harper got behind 16-12 and could never catch up. Sortino and Berggren each had three kills.

The Hawks came back strong in the third set, building a 16-9 lead on the way to a 25-14 win. Debra Miller (/Marian Catholic) played a strong set with a team-best five kills. Setter Katelyn Sommers (/Buffalo Grove) served an outstanding game, going 10-of-10 with four aces.

In the final set, Harper built an early lead, extended to 16-8, and closed out the match with a 25-18 victory. Middle hitter Sarah Berggren (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) put down six kills in 12 attempts. This time, Jillian Hoffman (Arlington Heights, Ill./Hersey) got tough with her serves and was 9-of-9 serving with an ace.

Stat Leaders:

Kills: Sarah Berggren (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) 28-of-28, 13 kills

Serving: Katelyn Sommers (/Buffalo Grove) 15-of-15, five aces

Blocking: Sarah Berggren (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) two blocks

Digs: Meghan Chartier (Inverness, Ill./Buffalo Grove) 16 digs

Assists: Katelyn Sommers (/Buffalo Grove) 32 assists

Double-Double: Katelyn Sommers (/Buffalo Grove) 10 digs, 32 assists

Harper vs. Kishwaukee College

Against a tough Kishwaukee Kougars squad, Harper lost in three sets, 19-25, 19-25, 21-25.

The Hawks trailed throughout most of the first set. Trailing 20-12, the Hawks cut the deficit to 24-19, but their comeback attempt came up short. Berggren did her part in the set with seven kills on just attempts while Sommers had 12 assists.

Trailing 14-8 in the second set, Harper managed to tie the score at 14-14 on some strong Chartier serving. But Kishwaukee pulled ahead 21-18 on the way to another 25-19 win. Miller paced the attack with five kills, and both Chartier and Mayer contributed seven digs.

The Hawks played better in the third set and led 12-5 when the Kougars called timeout. Harper continued to lead at 14-7 but lost the lead quickly when Kishwaukee went on an 11-3 run to gain a narrow 18-17 edge. Tied at 21-21, the Kougars scored the final four points to win the match. For Harper, Berggren added another four kills on eight swings for a Harper College match-high 14 kills. Loiacono added three more kills, three digs, and two blocks. Sommers had nine assists and five digs.

Stat Leaders:

Kills: Sarah Berggren (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) 19-of-19, 14 kills

Serving: Meghan Chartier (Inverness, Ill./Buffalo Grove) 12-of-13, ace

Blocking: Adriana Loiacono (Bartlett, Ill./South Elgin) two blocks

Digs: Meghan Chartier (Inverness, Ill./Buffalo Grove) 17 digs

Assists: Katelyn Sommers (/Buffalo Grove) 31

Double-Double: Katelyn Sommers (/Buffalo Grove) 12 digs, 31 assists

Up Next

The Hawks will be right back on the court Saturday morning as they play host to another tri-match. Harper will take on Highland Community College (Ill.) at 10 AM, followed by Prairie State College at 2 PM.