McLean County Times

Illinois Wesleyan University is set to host its final home volleyball tournament of the season, the IWU Tournament II, from October 27-28 in Bloomington, Illinois. The Titans will welcome teams from Millikin University, the University of Chicago, and the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire.

The Titans (12-12) will first face off against the University of Chicago (7-13) on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a match against UW-Eau Claire (12-11) on Saturday. This comes after a recent victory over Wheaton College on October 25. In that match, Taylor French led with 24 kills, Jordan Pierce contributed 32 assists, Lily Summers achieved four aces, Olivia deGuzman had 16 digs, and Eleanor Palmer recorded three blocks.

French has been a standout player this season, leading the NCAA in points with a total of 503. She ranks second in kills with 444 and seventh in both kills per set (4.58) and points per set (5.19). Other key contributors include Summers with 147 kills and Morgan Harrington with 133.

Pierce and Sophia Feeney have orchestrated much of the team's offense with their assists tallying at 343 and 317 respectively. French also leads in service aces with a count of 41.

On defense, French again leads with 330 digs while Faith Washko follows closely behind at 322. Palmer tops the team in blocks with a total of 60.

The upcoming match against Chicago marks their nineteenth meeting since their series began in 1999. Currently tied at nine wins each, IWU aims to end its four-game losing streak against UC following their last encounter on September 6, 2022.

In their eleventh matchup against UW-Eau Claire since they first met in 1997, IWU seeks to improve upon its current record as UWEC holds an advantage in past contests.

Further details about the tournament can be accessed through the tournament central page online.