BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After a weekend of rest, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team travels to Naperville, Ill., Tuesday, Oct. 3, to face North Central College in a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin battle. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Gregory Arena. 

The Titans (6-8, 2-1 CCIW) enter the contest off a thrilling five-set victory over Augustana College Wednesday night, Sept. 27. Senior Jordan Pierce (Bonfield, Ill.-Herscher) dominated, accumulating a near triple-double performance as she smashed her career-bests with 44 assists, 12 digs, and nine kills. Sophomore Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) led the match with 24 kills, while freshman Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) finished with four total blocks, two of which were solo rejections. Senior Faith Washko (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred-Heart Griffin) led the Green and White with a match-high 28 digs.

French, one of the nation's top hitters, ranks among the top 20 nationally in kills (228), kills per set (4.22), points (262.0), and points per set (4.85). Junior Carly Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West) and senior Lily Summers (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield North) have emerged as IWU's second and third hitter with 91 and 73 kills, respectively. Freshman Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) leads the Green and White with 242 assists, while junior Abby Erdman (Aurora, Ill.-Metea Valley) has added 164. French and Washko sit at the top for the team with 26 and 23 service aces, respectively. 

On the defensive side, Washko leads the team with 271 digs, an average of 5.02 per set, while French follows with 175, and Feeney rounds out the top three with 121. The Titans have seen a heavy net presence from Palmer and senior Taylor Babec (Joliet, Ill.-Plainfield Central). Palmer leads the team with 34 total blocks, an average of 0.64 per set, while Babec closely follows with 31, averaging 0.57 per set. Babec's seven solo rejections are a team-best, while Palmer sits second with six. 

North Central enters off a four-set win over Carroll University Wednesday, Sept. 27, improving to 11-4 overall, 2-1 in CCIW action. Tuesday's contest will be the 38th all-time matchup, dating back to 1994. IWU holds a 23-14 advantage in the series, but the Cardinals took the most recent meeting Oct. 5, 2022, winning in five sets. French paced the Green and White offense with 22 kills on a .246 clip for the match, while adding 10 digs to complete a double-double performance. Erdman also notched a double-double, leading the team with 30 assists, and finishing with 16 digs. Babec set a career-high, as she accumulated nine total blocks in the match. 

To access a live stream of the match, click here, while live stats can be followed here.