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Women’s Volleyball Hosts Carthage for CCIW Clash

First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center

9/19/2023 3:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team will host Carthage College for a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin midweek matchup Wednesday night, Sept. 20. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.

The Titans (4-6, 1-0 CCIW) return home after four-straight games on the road. Illinois Wesleyan took down Hamline University, 3-1, in its most recent contest Saturday, Sept. 16. Sophomore Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) led the match with 20 kills, and added 17 digs on defense for a double-double performance. Junior Abby Erdman (Aurora, Ill.-Metea Valley) and freshman Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) orchestrated the majority of the offense, finishing with 32 and 23 assists, respectively. Senior Faith Washko (Springfield, Ill.-Sacred-Heart Griffin) led the Titan defense with 20 digs.

Carthage (5-6) enters the contest off a four-set loss to Edgewood College Saturday, Sept. 16. Wednesday night's match will serve as the Firebirds' CCIW opener.

Wednesday's matchup will be the 52nd matchup between the Titans and Firebirds, with Carthage holding a 29-22 advantage. IWU has taken the last three meetings, including the most recent on Sept. 21, 2022. The Titans got the road win in four sets, powered behind French's 18 kills and Erdman's 30-assist, 11-dig, double-double performance.

Offensively, the Titans have seen French lead the team with 178 kills, the sixth-most nationally, and her average of 4.45 kills per set is the seventh-best across the nation. French's 203 points and 5.08 points per set are eighth and ninth in the nation, respectively. Feeney and Erdman have been the masterminds behind the majority of the offense. Feeney leads the team with 194 assists, an average of 5.11 per set, while Erdman ranks second with 124, an average of 3.76 assists per set.

On the defensive side, Washko's 203 digs lead the team, and rank 22nd nationally, an average of 5.06 per set. French sits in second on the team with 128 for an average of 3.20 digs per set. The Titans have seen a strong net defense from freshman Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep), as she leads the team with 25 total blocks, four solo and 21 assisted. Senior Taylor Babec (Joliet, Ill.-Plainfield Central) follows closely with 22, and leads the team with seven solo rejections.

A live stream for the match can be found here, while live stats can be accessed by clicking here.

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