GRAND RAPIDS - The Calvin volleyball team fought off a tough North Park University team to win 3-0 by the scores of 27-25, 25-17 and 26-24 to close the Midwest Invitational tournament on Saturday.

The three-set win was closer than the overall score looked, as the Knights fought off multiple set points in the first and third sets before claiming each on the way to the sweep.

The teams went back and forth in the first set, trading long rallies and digging deep until the Vikings took a 24-21 advantage and looked on the verge of taking an early lead. The Knights came back to win the next three points to tie the set 24-24, and then scored three straight to close the game 27-25.

After the Knights cruised to a 25-17 win in set two, North Park refused to go away quietly in the third. In a set that featured 10 ties and five lead changes, the Vikings once again took a late lead 24-22, but Calvin responded again. The Knights took the next three points to take a one-point lead, and then capped the comeback with a Maria Bos (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) kill to win the set and the match.

Heidi Westra (Clarendon Hills, Ill./Timothy Christian) led the Knights with 12 kills. Bos added 10 kills and 13 digs, while Alyssa DeVries (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian) finished with 29 assists, 14 digs and two blocks.

Aubrey Wrubel (Jenison, Mich./Jenison) recorded a match-best 25 digs, the second-highest total of her career in a three-set match. 

Calvin improved to 19-3 on the season with the win. North Park fell to 19-7 in defeat.

COACH'S COMMENT: "We earned that one," said Calvin head volleyball coach Dr. Amber Warners. "We were resilient. I think we stuck tough. Number 11 (Adriana Rodriguez of North Park) I think leads the nation in aces and kills per set, and we thought we played good defense.

"I think we had a really tough non-conference schedule, so to come out of that pretty much unscathed in some ways over the last two weeks has been really, really good for us. It's been a grind, and we're super happy. But we just can't stop now."

NEXT UP: Calvin volleyball will return to action on Tuesday, October 18, when it hosts Adrian in a match scheduled to start at 6:30 PM.