Box Score WAUKESHA, Wis. - The fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team claimed a four-set win over Carroll University to begin College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play at Van Male Fieldhouse, Wednesday, Sept. 23. IWU advanced to 12-1 (1-0 CCIW) behind set scores of 25-16, 25-27, 25-23, and 25-16 while Carroll fell to 8-6 (0-1 CCIW). It is the seventh straight season the Green and White have won its conference opener.
The Green and White used a big first set to propel the four-set win and finished with a .206 hitting percentage. The defense held the Pios to a .122 clip and collected 90 digs compared to CU's 78. IWU held leads in kills (56-42), assists (52-37), and aces (7-4). Carroll doubled up the Titans in blocks, 8-4.
Sophomore Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) and senior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) were hot again after a big weekend. Whitaker led the offensive attack with 12 kills at a .379 clip. Palmer went for 11 kills for a .385 hitting percentage. The Titans had a one-two punch distributing as sophomore Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) orchestrated 22 assists and senior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) collected her seventh 20-plus assist match of the season. Junior Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) grabbed her eighth double-double of the year with 10 kills and 17 digs.
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Illinois Wesleyan cruised to a set one win behind a .344 hitting percentage. The Titans doubled up CU 14-7 on kills as the defense held the Pios to a .065 attack rate. Carroll struck first but the Titans took the next four points and a 4-1 lead. Whitaker led the charge with IWU's first kill before Bardouniotis and junior Graci Junis (Morton, Ill.-Morton) teamed up to make it 9-6 then 10-6 with a service ace and a kill, respectively. Whitaker sandwiched a pair of kills with a junior Juliana Valdez (Palos Heights, Ill.-Marist) point to make it 15-9 then the sophomore added on by finding the hardwood to make it 17-10 and 18-11. CU tried to mount a comeback with a mini run but Pio attack errors stalled the momentum and gave the set to IWU, 25-16.
The second set started the same way the first set ended, a Carroll attacking error. The Green and White continued the strong start with a Valdez kill and a Feeney dump to make it 4-1. Carroll scurried back with a couple points but more errors from the Pios gave IWU a 10-6 lead. After a pair of kills from CU, IWU used consecutive points from Junis and Bardouniotis to make it 15-10. The Pios responded with a run of their own, rattling off five straight points with four coming off attacking errors and the other a reception error. The two traded points before senior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) and Whitaker kills, along with a bad set, forced a Pios timeout. Carroll tied it up again at 21 with straight points but the two gave each other errors to move the score to 22-22. CU kept the momentum rolling with a block, and a kill made it set point 24-22, forcing a Titan timeout. Out of the break, Whitaker fired off the first kill to get within one and Bardouniotis tied it at 24. After a Pio attacking error made it set point for IWU, Carroll's comeback came to fruition with three straight kills to take set two, 27-25.
After switching sides for the third set, the momentum stayed with Carroll early. The Pios jumped out to a quick 2-0 lead but Bardouniotis calmed down the Titans with consecutive kills which turned into a mini 3-0 run to take a 5-4 lead. Tied at six, the Green and White separated itself with a five-point spurt, highlighted by a pair of Palmer kills, but let CU go on an 8-2 run which forced Kim Nelson-Brown's first timeout of the third set, trailing 14-13. IWU tied it with a Whitaker kill after the break, then rallied off back-to-back Bardouniotis points and a nifty Feeney dump off a continuation ball to make it 17-14. Bardouniotis added to her successful set with a kill and an ace to make it 21-17 and Palmer tacked one on before a CU timeout. A big swing from Junis snuck in before the backline to give IWU 23 points but errors came back to bite the Titans, forcing a timeout at 23-20. Carroll kept the comeback in motion with three straight kills but Junis followed with a kill of her own to take the third set 25-23.
Illinois Wesleyan finished off its fifth straight four-set win with a kill from Shannon via Feeney. Carroll changed momentum with four straight points to make it 5-2, but IWU handled the rest of the set. The Green and White fought back to tie it at eight as Palmer and Feeney gave IWU an 11-8 lead. Shannon added to the lead along with freshman Josie Neukomm (Cissna Park, Ill.-Cissna Park), who smashed home consecutive kills with Palmer making it 16-11. Illinois Wesleyan closed with an ace from sophomore Shelby Sennett (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) alongside Pio attacking errors with three down the stretch.
IWU enjoys the weekend off before closing the month of September as host to Wheaton College, Wednesday, Sept. 30. Action from the Shirk Center is scheduled for 7 p.m.
