McLean County Times

After defeating North Central College in a decisive match, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team is set to face Millikin University for the CCIW Championship. The match will take place on Saturday, November 16, at Shirk Center, beginning at 4 p.m.

Illinois Wesleyan, holding a record of 21-9, showcased a balanced offensive strategy against North Central. Junior Taylor French and freshman Alex Bardouniotis led the team with 13 and 11 kills respectively. Other notable performances included Hannah Tellor with nine kills and sophomores Cailin Shannon and Eleanor Palmer contributing eight and seven kills each. Sophia Feeney supported the team's efforts with 31 assists.

French is ranked among the top players nationally in several categories including points, aces, and kills. She holds positions within the top ten for points (543), aces (77), and kills (450). Her teammate Tellor follows her with 230 kills while Bardouniotis has recorded 222.

Feeney leads in assists for Illinois Wesleyan with a total of 503 this season. Abby Erdman ranks second on the team with 354 assists followed by Jordan Pierce's contribution of 267 assists.

On defense, Kannyn Boyd has been pivotal for Illinois Wesleyan accumulating 472 digs throughout the season. French also contributed significantly with 348 digs while Bardouniotis added another layer of defense with her total of 231 digs. Tellor leads in blocks having achieved a total of 80 blocks this season.

The upcoming match marks the teams' 59th meeting since their series began in 1994. Millikin currently leads slightly in overall wins against Illinois Wesleyan but lost to them earlier this season during homecoming weekend. In that encounter, French led with an impressive performance securing multiple kills while Boyd excelled defensively.

The live stream and statistics for Saturday’s game are accessible via IWU's sports website.