McLean County Times

In a closely contested match between two top-10 NCAA Division III women's volleyball teams, Illinois Wesleyan University fell to the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire in five sets during the Blugold Alumni Weekend Invitational on Friday night. The Titans, ranked sixth nationally, took the first two sets 25-18 and 25-23 but were unable to secure a third set to clinch the match. UW-Eau Claire, ranked seventh, rallied to win the final three sets 27-25, 25-22, and 21-19.

Illinois Wesleyan started strong, building momentum early in the second set with key plays from junior Sophia Feeney and sophomore Alex Bardouniotis. Freshman Lauren O'Brien made an immediate impact off the bench with an ace, while senior Hannah Tellor and freshman Carly Whitaker contributed at the net. Senior Taylor French sealed the first set with a kill.

The Titans maintained their edge into the second set, capitalizing on UW-Eau Claire errors and timely kills from French and Whitaker. Head coach Kim Nelson-Brown called a timeout late in the set to disrupt a Blugolds run, which proved effective as Illinois Wesleyan closed out the set 25-23.

Despite leading late in the third set, Illinois Wesleyan could not hold off UW-Eau Claire, who took advantage of key moments to win 27-25. The fourth set saw the Titans briefly regain the lead before falling 25-22.

The deciding fifth set was tightly contested. Junior Eleanor Palmer led with several kills, helping the Titans to an early lead. Both teams exchanged points until UW-Eau Claire secured the final three points to win 21-19.

Four Illinois Wesleyan players finished with double-digit kills. Palmer set a career-high with 12 kills on a .440 hitting percentage. French led the team with 17 kills, while Bardouniotis and Tellor added 14 and 11, respectively. Feeney and O'Brien managed the offense, recording 29 and 27 assists. O'Brien also led from the service line with three aces.

Defensively, Palmer recorded five blocks, Tellor had four, and Whitaker added three. Senior Kannyn Boyd led with 24 digs. French and Bardouniotis each finished with double-doubles.

Illinois Wesleyan's record moves to 16-2 following the loss. The team will face Cornell College on Saturday morning and University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point later that afternoon to conclude their weekend matches in Eau Claire.