Nicole Bing Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach | Illinois College Athletics Website
Nicole Bing Assistant Women's Volleyball Coach | Illinois College Athletics Website
BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team is set to begin its 2024 season at the Wittenberg Fall Classic in Springfield, Ohio, from August 30-31. The two-day tournament, hosted by Wittenberg University, will feature the Titans facing Mount St. Joseph University on Friday at 7 p.m. ET, followed by matches against Otterbein University and Baldwin-Wallace University on Saturday at 12:30 p.m. ET and 3 p.m. ET, respectively.
Illinois Wesleyan returns 13 letterwinners from its 2023 squad that finished with a record of 17-13. Notable returners include junior Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) and fifth-year Jordan Pierce (Bonfield, Ill.-Herscher), both of whom earned All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin honors last season. French was named First Team All-CCIW and the conference's Offensive Player of the Year while also being selected to the AVCA All-American Second Team after recording 570 kills, 425 digs, and 48 aces in her sophomore year. Pierce received Second Team All-CCIW honors for leading the team with 556 assists along with contributing 165 digs, 73 kills, and 26 aces.
Sophomore Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep), who led the team in blocks last season with a total of 72 as a freshman, also returns.
The Titans welcome six new freshmen: Alysa Lawton (Elmhurst, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep), Izzie Niepagen (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic), Hailey Rak (Lockport, Ill.-Lockport Township), Vanessa Stasieluk (Northbrook, Ill.-Glenbrook North), Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North), and Larisa Link (Chicago, Ill.-Marist). Additionally, junior transfers Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) and Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant., Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) will make their debut for Illinois Wesleyan.
This will be Illinois Wesleyan's fourth consecutive season facing Mount St. Joseph and their eighth meeting overall since their first encounter in 2001; Mount St. Joseph holds a series lead of 5-2 and won their last matchup on September 8, 2023.
The Titans aim to even their series record against Otterbein University which currently stands at a slim lead of Otterbein's favor at 2-1; their last match was on September 7th in which Otterbein triumphed in three sets.
Against Baldwin-Wallace University dating back to the series starting in the year of1994 campaign IWU leads with a standing advantage of winning three out four matches including victories in their previous two encounters ending most recently October10th ,2008 .
Tournament details including streaming options live statistics are available via Wittenberg’s central page or IWU sports website .
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