ELMHURST, Ill. -- After achieving the highest-ever ranking in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll earlier in the day, the No. 11-ranked Illinois Wesleyan volleyball team needed five sets to dispose of Elmhurst College at R.A. Faganel Hall in Elmhurst, Ill., on Tuesday, Oct. 31.

Illinois Wesleyan won by scores of 25-15, 24-26, 25-18, 19-25, 15-12 to improve to 21-6 overall and finish 6-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The Bluejays finished 5-3 in the CCIW but were 5-15 in nonconference play and have a 10-18 overall season mark.

Junior outside hitters Rachel Burkman and Tyler Brown each had 15 kills to lead IWU and senior Kyleigh Block added eight. The Titans had a .209 hitting percentage across the five sets with 56 kills and 22 errors in 163 attempts while the Bluejays, who hit .367 in winning set four, had an overall .169 hitting mark with 53 kills and 23 errors in 177 tries.

Block also had 20 digs, three service aces and three total blocks. Junior Maddie Williams had a team-best five blocks and Burkman added two.

Sophomore libero Raina Emery had 16 defensive digs and Brown led IWU with 23. Sophomore Kira Jackson provided 27 assists while freshman Caitlin Meyer had 25 assists and a career-high five service aces.

What's Next?
Illinois Wesleyan has qualified for their second CCIW Tournament appearance in the last three years. As the tournament's No. 3 seed, Illinois Wesleyan will play No. 2 Carthage (23-8, 6-2 CCIW) at 4:30 p.m. on Friday in the CCIW postseason tournament at the Griswold Center in Decatur, Ill. Go here for the tournament website. In the other semifinal, No. 4 seed Elmhurst (10-18, 5-3) facing No. 1 seed Millikin (27-6, 8-0) at 7 p.m.
The semifinal winners will advance to the tournament championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. at Millikin. The winner will earn the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Volleyball Championship.
Illinois Wesleyan has a 49-41 record all-time (.544) in CCIW postseason tournament play.