The Niles North Vikings’ Girls Volleyball team has held their own in six tough conference games, currently sitting at second place in the Central Suburban League (CSL) North with a record of 4-2. 

The girls had a rough start to their season, winning only 4 out of their first 18 games before conference play began. But when they started playing their CSL North conference opponents, they came together to win 4 out of the 6 conference games they’ve played so far, with 1 set win to the Vernon Hills Cougars’ 2 on both losing occasions.

For context, in volleyball, the winner is the first one to get 2 sets on their opponent: in order to win a set, you have to get 25 points before your opponent does. So this means Vernon Hills won 2 sets while Niles North only won 1, making Vernon Hills the winner the two times they played each other. 

While the CSL North is considered to be one of the toughest conferences in the state, the team was able to hold their own against strong opponents due to the relationships they’ve built both on and off the court.

“Our team has a great bond and our chemistry is really strong since most of us are varsity returners. We hope to take conference this year, but whatever the outcome may be, I am super happy about the work we put in and how much all of us improved this season,” junior and starting setter Jolie Vukic said.

While they’ve suffered 2 conference losses, winning the CSL North is still possible for the Vikings. Their remaining conference games are Highland Park away on 10/12, Deerfield away on 10/17, and Maine East home on 10/19. All three games will be held at 6 pm on their respective dates and locations. The girls are all looking forward to what comes next for them.