The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team has won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament Championship for a second consecutive year. The Titans, ranked No. 3 nationally, defeated Carthage College in straight sets with scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-18. This victory marks the first time in program history that Illinois Wesleyan has secured back-to-back tournament titles and is their fifth overall.
Senior Taylor French led the Titans' offense with 12 kills on a .286 hitting percentage. Sophomore Alex Bardouniotis contributed nine kills, while senior Hannah Tellor added eight. Junior Sophia Feeney recorded a match-high 19 assists, and freshman Lauren O'Brien provided 10 assists.
On defense, senior Kannyn Boyd tied for the match lead with 10 digs. French and Bardouniotis each had seven digs as both teams finished with 40 digs apiece. Carthage led in blocks by a margin of 12-6; Bardouniotis led Illinois Wesleyan with three blocks. Juniors Hailey Rak and Eleanor Palmer, along with Tellor, each tallied two blocks.
Illinois Wesleyan outperformed Carthage in several statistical categories including kills (41-31), aces (6-4), and assists (36-30). The team hit .210 compared to Carthage's .207.
In key moments during the match, Tellor broke a tie early in the first set before teaming up with freshman Carly Whitaker for a block that gave IWU a lead they maintained through the rest of the set. Late efforts from French and Bardouniotis helped secure close wins in both the first and second sets.
After this win, Illinois Wesleyan awaits its seeding for the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament. The selection show will take place on Monday, November 17 at 1 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.
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