BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team held off Elmhurst University's comeback attempt Tuesday night, Oct. 17, inside the Shirk Center in College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play. The Titans (8-12, 4-3 CCIW) bested the Bluejays (11-7, 1-4 CCIW) in five sets by set scores of 25-20, 26-24, 23-25, 24-26, and 15-9.

A monster game from sophomore Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) powered the Green and White, as the reigning CCIW Player of the Week set the program's points record with 33.5 in the match. French recorded a career-high 27 kills on a hefty .368 attacking percentage, while adding 17 digs, four aces, and four blocks in a stat-stuffing showing. 

Senior Jordan Pierce (Bonfield, Ill.-Herscher) also recorded a double-double, going for 26 assists and a dozen digs. Sophomore Raegan Watts (Forsyth, Ill.-Maroa Forsyth) powered the defense with a team-best 21 digs, while freshman Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) and senior Taylor Babec (Joliet, Ill.-Plainfield Central) tallied six and five blocks, respectively. Junior Morgan Harrington (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) finished with four blocks and ranked second on the team with nine kills.

IWU finished with a slim 58-57 lead in kills, but held a .190 to .179 edge in attacking percentage. The Green and White also finished with leads in aces, 8-6, blocks, 12-7, and digs, 72-64.

The Titans fought off a comeback attempt by the Bluejays in the first set, as Elmhurst trimmed a six-point IWU lead to two. On the heels of an Elmhurst run, Illinois Wesleyan head coach Kim Nelson-Brown used a timeout to get the Titans back on track. A kill from French and an ace from Pierce quickly expanded IWU's cushion. French and Palmer then combined on a block before an EU error and French ace sealed the 25-20 set win.

Elmhurst came out strong in the second, but the Green and White rallied back late. Facing set point and trailing 24-21, IWU rattled off five straight points to take the set. A Pierce kill from freshman Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) sparked the run and brought about an Elmhurst timeout. After a Bluejay error and another EU timeout, Pierce served up an ace to level the score at 24 all. Harrington and Palmer combined for a block before French smashed down a kill to give IWU the set, 26-24.

Illinois Wesleyan appeared poised for another comeback in the third, coming back from down 15-9, to pull within one, 24-23, on a Harrington tool. A service error thwarted the rally though, as Elmhurst took the set, 25-23, to extend the match.

After the Bluejays forced a fifth set, IWU found its stride. With their backs against the wall, the Titans saw Harrington and Babec collect back-to-back kills to take a 9-5 lead and never looked back. French registered two straight kills before combining with Babec for the match-winning rejection.

Illinois Wesleyan embarks on its fall break trip to Maine this weekend, Oct. 20-21, taking a breaking from conference play. IWU will travel to Bowdoin Friday, Oct. 20, before battling Colby and Endicott at the Colby College Tournament, Oct. 21.