McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team secured a place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament Championship after defeating Wheaton College in straight sets on Thursday night at the Shirk Center. The Titans, who are ranked No. 3 and hold the top seed in the conference tournament, improved their season record to 25-2 with set scores of 25-22, 25-21, and 25-14 over fourth-seeded Wheaton (22-10). This win marks Illinois Wesleyan's highest number of victories in a season since 2018.

Senior Taylor French led the Titans' offense with 17 kills and a .371 attack percentage. Sophomore Alex Bardouniotis contributed nine kills, while freshman Carly Whitaker added six. Sophomore Hailey Rak made her first start of the season and finished with five kills on a .500 hitting percentage. Junior Sophia Feeney and freshman Lauren O'Brien recorded 19 and 15 assists, respectively.

On defense, senior Kannyn Boyd led with 15 digs, followed by Bardouniotis with 11. At the net, Rak posted a career-high six blocks. Senior Hannah Tellor and Whitaker each had four blocks as Illinois Wesleyan limited Wheaton to a .111 attack percentage.

Illinois Wesleyan held statistical advantages in several categories: kills (44-33), blocks (10-2), assists (39-31), and digs (45-38). Both teams registered three service aces.

The match began closely until a block from junior Cailin Shannon and Rak gave IWU an early lead that was extended by consecutive kills from French. Later in the set, another block from Rak and Bardouniotis helped maintain momentum before French secured set point at 24-19. Despite resistance from Wheaton, head coach Kim Nelson-Brown called a timeout that led to a 25-22 win for IWU in the opening set.

In the second set, Rak’s play at the net helped build an early lead for IWU before Wheaton tied it at 13-all. The teams traded points until Bardouniotis scored three consecutive times to put IWU ahead again. French broke a late tie with two more kills as Illinois Wesleyan closed out the set following errors by Wheaton.

The Titans took control early in the third set after another block from Shannon and Rak. Back-to-back kills by French increased their advantage before Illinois Wesleyan went on a decisive run featuring plays from Tellor and Bardouniotis at the net. Senior Raegan Watts added an ace before Rak scored three final points to secure victory for IWU.

Illinois Wesleyan will now host second-seeded Carthage College for Saturday’s CCIW title match at Shirk Center. The winner will receive an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The championship game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m., following four basketball games earlier in the day involving other university teams.