McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team is set to face Marietta College in the second round of the NCAA Tournament Regional. The match will take place on Friday, November 22, at 7 p.m. ET in Ban Johnson Arena, Marietta, Ohio.

Illinois Wesleyan secured their spot in the tournament by winning the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin's automatic bid after defeating Millikin University on November 16. They continued their success by defeating Franklin & Marshall College in straight sets during the opening round on November 21.

Marietta College, with a record of 24-1, enters as an at-large bid after losing to Otterbein University in the Ohio Athletic Conference Tournament Championship. They advanced to this round by overcoming St. John Fisher University.

The Titans demonstrated strong performance against Franklin & Marshall with advantages in several key areas such as kills, assists, digs, blocks, and aces. Taylor French led the offense with significant contributions from teammates Hannah Tellor and Alex Bardouniotis.

Coach Kim Nelson-Brown has guided Illinois Wesleyan through a successful season that includes an undefeated run in CCIW play and several players earning All-CCIW honors. The team's history includes six CCIW Regular Season Championships and seven NCAA Tournament appearances under her leadership.

Taylor French was named to the American Volleyball Coaches Association First Team All-Region for her third consecutive year, joining select company within the program's history.

Illinois Wesleyan aims to advance further into the tournament and potentially secure a spot in the NCAA Final Eight scheduled for December 4-7 in Salem, Virginia.