McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team has received a record seven All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) honors, as announced by the league office on Monday. The Titans finished their second consecutive 8-0 season in CCIW play, securing back-to-back regular season championships.

Six Illinois Wesleyan players were named to the First Team All-CCIW, with one player earning Second Team recognition. The program also took home three out of five specialty awards.

Senior Taylor French was named CCIW Offensive Player of the Year for the third straight time, becoming the first player in conference history to achieve this distinction since the award's inception. Junior Sophia Feeney earned her place as the first Titan to win CCIW Setter of the Year, an award that began three years ago.

The coaching staff, led by head coach Kim Nelson-Brown and assistants Tyler White, Tony Gliwa, Maggie Nelson, Ryan Raycraft, and Nicole Bing Eichelberger, was honored as Coaching Staff of the Year after guiding Illinois Wesleyan to its first consecutive titles in program history. This marks Nelson-Brown’s fifth conference coaching honor during her tenure.

First Team All-CCIW selections from Illinois Wesleyan include Feeney, French, seniors Hannah Tellor and Kannyn Boyd, junior Eleanor Palmer, and sophomore Alex Bardouniotis. Freshman Lauren O'Brien made Second Team All-CCIW. Senior Raegan Watts received IWU's CCIW RESPECT Award.

French became the first Titan to earn First Team All-CCIW honors four times and is only the sixth player in program history to receive all-conference recognition each year of eligibility. She led all offensive categories in conference play—kills per set (3.77), points per set (4.67), aces per set (0.77)—and ranked ninth in digs per set (3.38). French played 26 sets this season with 98 kills at a .219 attack percentage and was named CCIW Hitter of the Week four times.

Feeney contributed significantly as a setter for an offense that led both the nation in kills per set and the conference with a .278 hitting percentage during CCIW matches. She averaged 5.73 assists per set over 26 sets played and was twice recognized as CCIW Setter of the Week.

Bardouniotis earned her first all-conference honor after ranking second on her team in kills per set (3.27) and seventh in attack percentage (.304) among outside hitters within the conference.

Palmer collected her first All-CCIW award for leading a defense that limited opponents to a .102 attack percentage—the best mark in conference play—and ranked second individually with a .388 hitting percentage.

Tellor repeated as First Team All-CCIW after contributing on both offense and defense; she recorded a .328 hitting percentage with 53 kills across 26 sets.

Boyd moved up from last year's Second Team selection after leading defensively with 4.31 digs per set and becoming IWU’s first libero to be named AVCA Division III National Player of the Week.

O'Brien made an impact as part of IWU's two-setter system by averaging 5.15 assists per set during her freshman campaign.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the CCIW Tournament as top seed with a bye into Thursday’s semifinal at Shirk Center against either Wheaton College or Carroll University.

"Taylor French, Illinois Wesleyan," was awarded CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year; "Sophia Feeney, Illinois Wesleyan," was named Setter of the Year; "Illinois Wesleyan" won Coaching Staff of the Year; "Raegan Watts" received IWU's RESPECT Award.