In a thrilling showdown on Wednesday night, September 13, the Illinois Wesleyan University women’s volleyball team kicked off their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) campaign with a four-set triumph against Carroll University. The Titans secured the victory with set scores of 25-21, 19-25, 25-18, and 25-19. With this victory, the Titans improve to an overall record of 2-5 and start conference play with a perfect 1-0 record, while Carroll’s record now stands at 3-5 (0-1 CCIW).
On the offensive front, sophomore sensation Taylor French (Romeoville, IL.-Plainfield East) delivered an outstanding performance, contributing three aces and an impressive 15 kills. The freshman standout, Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, IL.-Lake Park) also made her mark with seven kills. Adding to the offensive prowess was freshman Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) who finished with six kills on an impressive .556 attack percentage. Distributing the offense were three talented setters, sophomore Katie Gund (Pewaukee, Wis.-Pewaukee) recorded 10 assists, junior Abby Erdman (Aurora, Ill.-Metea Valley) and freshman Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) with nine and eight assists respectively.
Defensively, the Titans displayed a formidable presence at the net, led by Palmer, who posted two solo blocks and two assisted blocks. Shannon and junior Morgan Harrington (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) each added three total rejections, while senior Taylor Babec (Joliet, Ill.-Plainfield Central) finished with two. The Green and White showcased their defensive prowess with an impressive total of eight blocks for the night.
Senior Faith Washko (Springfield, IL.-Sacred-Heart Griffin) led the way with an astounding 31 digs, with French chipping in with 13, securing a double-double performance.
The Green and White held the edge in kills (43-38), aces (9-5) and total blocks (8-5), while Carroll University outperformed the Titans in digs (76-72) and assists (37-35).
The match’s first set saw the Titans seizing an early 8-4 lead, but the Pioneers managed to level the score at 13 apiece. However, a strategically timed timeout by Kim Nelson-Brown at the 16-14 mark turned the tide in favor of the Titans. French delivered a critical kill, followed by a Pioneers’ error. Palmer posted back-to-back kills, putting IWU back at 20-19, prompting a timeout by Carroll.
The Titans secured three consecutive points after the break, thanks to a Pioneers’ error, another brilliant ace from French and a kill by Shannon, extending the lead to 23-19. Carroll called their final timeout of the set, but it couldn’t slow down IWU’s performance as Feeney found French for the last point, sealing the set with French’s sixth kill of the set.
Despite dropping the second set, Illinois Wesleyan came roaring back in the third, taking five of the first six points. After some back-and-forth action, French and Babec each notched a kill, and three Pioneers’ errors propelled the Titans to an 11-6 lead, forcing a timeout from Carroll. Although Carroll regrouped after the timeout and secured the sideout, the Titans made a comeback with an 8-2 run, extending their lead to 20-8. Although the Pioneers attempted to narrow the gap, Gund ultimately sealed the set with a powerful kill.
The fourth set began with both teams trading points, but the Titans used a 9-0 run, claiming a commanding 15-5 lead. This remarkable run resulted from kills by Carly Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West), and Harrington, a French ace, and a few costly Pioneers’ errors. The Titans cruised through the remainder of the set, with Kuehl sealing the match with her fifth kill, Illinois Wesleyan securing the set 25-19.