BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team knocked off ninth-ranked Elmhurst University in a five-set nail biter inside the Shirk Center Wednesday night, April 7. The Titans won the first two sets by scores of 25-21 and 28-26, but the Bluejays battled back with 25-20 and 25-21 wins in set three and four to tie the match at 2-2. In the fifth, IWU held off EU 15-13, to take the match, 3-2.

The Bluejays got out to a 3-2 lead in the fifth set, but a service error sparked a momentum-shifting run for the Titans. IWU rattled off the next five points to take a 7-3 lead as the set neared the midpoint. Elmhurst cut the Illinois Wesleyan lead to one, 13-12, but the Green and White held on for a 15-13 match-clinching victory.

Illinois Wesleyan used a balanced all-around effort to ground Elmhurst, as three Titans finished with double-digit kills and five tallied nine-or-more. Leading the way was senior Jessica McCall (Wayne, Ill.-Wheaton St. Francis) with 13 kills on a .179 attacking percentage. Sophomore Grace Sanders (Bloomington, Ill.-Bloomington) tallied 12 to go along with a career-high 27 digs, while junior Courtney McAuliffe (Lemont, Ill.-Lemont) added 11 kills and seven blocks.

 Junior Dana Kiszkowski (Schaumburg, Ill.-Schaumburg) and freshman Maddie Dryfhout (Orland Park, Ill.-Chicago Christian) finished with nine kills each. Kiszkowski also notched six blocks, while sophomore Evy Makris (Orland Park, Ill.-Sandburg) was credited with six kills and four blocks.

Junior Amber Juarez (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal U High) racked up a team-high 31 digs. Dryfhout contributed 11 digs, and junior Madi Corey (Frankfort, Ill.-Lincoln-Way East) recorded an 11-dig, 27-assist double-double.

As a team, the Titans tallied 61 kills to the Bluejays' 48. IWU also held a 107-95 edge in digs and a 59-44 lead in assists. Elmhurst held the upperhand in aces, 9-5, and blocks, 16-11, but Illinois Wesleyan hit .112 as a team to EU's .100 clip.

With the regular season complete, Illinois Wesleyan turns to the AVCA Invitational Tournament, April 9-10, in Indianapolis, Ind. The Titans kick off the tournament with a 10 a.m. ET match against Greenville, followed by a tilt with Transylvania at 11:30 a.m. ET.