Titan Women’s Volleyball served up a big win during the Crafted Classic from September 6th to September 7th at the Shirk Center. The three-match sweep blocked victories from DePauw, Loras and Webster,leaving Illinois Wesleyan undefeated in their home opener.
The tournament opened on Friday, September 6th at 6 pm against DePauw. After taking the first set in a resounding 25-15 win, Wesleyan dropped the second. The Green and White took the next two, icing the fourth set with a kill by junior outside hitter Taylor French.
An energized crowd full of family and friends alike returned for the two remaining matches on Saturday. The Titans many notable performers. Senior middle hitter Morgan Harrington, who contributed 16 kills across the two matches.
Sophomore middle hitter Eleanor Palmer worked overtime near the net, defended the Titan’s side of the court and lived up to the “tough as nails” title. French made multiple appearances back on the court and once again became a crowd favorite thanks to her constant energy. Freshman outside hitter Alex Bardounitotis was a quiet force on the floor, contributing vital scores to keep Wesleyan in the lead.
Ahead of the rest of the season, Bardouniotis hinted at having high expectations as a team. “We are going to keep practicing and improving and winning so we can make it far in the NCAA Championships and have a really great season.” Bardouniotis shared with The Argus staff. “[We are] gonna keep going out and playing aggressive, and have fun, of course.” French shared. Coach Nelson-Brown believes Titan’s fans still have yet to see the team’s best volleyball. A number of player injuries lingered as the tournament closed, and the team’s future will only be brighter when the team returns to full health.
After the weekend’s events, defensive specialist/libero junior Kannyn Boyd was named Women’s Volleyball Defensive Player of the Week by the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. Her defensive outing included 50 digs across the tournament, with 29 digs against Depauw alone. Boyd became Illinois Wesleyan’s first CCIW Player of the Week honor this year.
Titan Women’s Volleyball will defend its undefeated home streak at the Shirk Center next Wednesday, September 18th at 7 pm to compete against Wheaton.