Mia VanHekken piled up 24 kills and 19 digs as Timothy Christian's girls volleyball team swept all three opponents at the Evergreen Park Invite on Wednesday, Sept. 2.

The Trojans didn't drop a set all day. They beat Chicago University 25-19, 25-21, then rolled past Richards 25-13, 25-14 and Fenwick 25-14, 25-12, according to Shaw Local's Suburban Life sports roundup.

The 3-0 day pushed the Elmhurst school's season record to 9-2.

VanHekken wasn't the only Trojan filling the stat sheet. Maddie Rudman added 18 kills and a team-high 21 digs, while Sophie Kwak ran the offense with 61 assists across the three matches. The trio combined for 42 kills in a tournament where no opponent reached 20 points in a single set against Timothy Christian.

VanHekken's invite performance earned her a nomination for Suburban Life's Athlete of the Week for the week ending Aug. 30. The award went to Downers Grove North football player Kevin Jay, but the nod put the Timothy Christian hitter on the suburban radar.

Season context

The invite capped a strong stretch for the Trojans. Timothy Christian beat St. Francis of Wheaton 2-1 in a non-conference road match on Tuesday, Sept. 1, according to MaxPreps. That three-set result was a tighter contest than the straight-set wins the Trojans posted at the invite a day later.

Timothy Christian opened the season with a loss to crosstown rival York on Aug. 24, falling 25-18, 25-14 in what was described as a season opener for both programs. York Athletics posted the result on X, noting the Dukes won in straight sets.

Since that opening-day defeat, the Trojans have won nine of their next 10 matches, with only one other loss on the ledger through 11 contests. The six straight-set sweeps at the Evergreen Park Invite suggest the Elmhurst squad is hitting its stride heading into September.