CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - A strong performance all-around led the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team to a five-set victory over Coe College in the Titans first match of the Kohawk Invitational Friday night, Oct. 18. With the win, the Titans have now won five of their last nine matches.

Illinois Wesleyan shook off a sluggish start that allowed Coe to take the opening set 25-19, to even the match at one all with a 25-17 victory in the second. The Kohawks took the third 25-23, but the Titans bounced back with a convincing 25-15 win in the fourth. In the decisive fifth, IWU scored five of the final six points en route to a 15-9 victory, completing the comeback.

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan overmatched Coe in kills, 55 to 54, blocks, 11-2, assists, 52 to 50, and digs, 102 to 86. The Kohawks held a slim 6-5 edge in aces. The Titans season-high 102 digs were the most since IWU tallied 103 against Whittier, Sept. 1, 2018.

Junior Jessica McCall (Wayne, Ill.-Wheaton St. Francis) registered a career-high 21 kills on 58 attempts, good for a .259 clip. McCall was also one of five Titans with double-digit digs, finishing the night with 13 for her sixth straight double-double. Aiding McCall's effort offensively, freshmen Evy Makris (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg HS) and Grace Sanders (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington HS) added nine and eight kills, respectively. Makris, who hit .308 for the match, also tallied six blocks. Sanders added 19 digs, an assist, and an ace. 

Sophomore setter Madi Corey (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East HS) distributed 42 assists, while also tallying 13 digs, four kills, three blocks, and three aces.

Leading IWU to its highest dig total in over a year was sophomore Amber Juarez (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal U High), who racked up a team-high 22 digs. Juarez also added four aces. Fellow sophomore Makenna Jacoby (Shorewood, Ill.-Minooka Community) posted a career-high 16 digs.

Illinois Wesleyan looks to keep the momentum rolling tomorrow, Oct. 19, when it faces off against St. Thomas and UW-La Crosse at 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., respectively. Links to live stats of each of the matches can be found by clicking here.