Women's Volleyball starting lineup for Millikin Oct. 4, 2024

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Women’s Volleyball Set to Host Carthage in Key CCIW Contest

Titans and Firebirds remain only undefeated conference teams

10/8/2024 4:00:00 PM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Extending its run of key College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contests, the Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team will host Carthage College for another crucial battle Wednesday night, Oct. 9. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center.

Both teams remain undefeated in CCIW action, as IWU (11-5, 4-0 CCIW) handed No. 15 North Park University and eighth-ranked Millikin University their first league losses last week. The two top-15 victories helped the Titans sweep CCIW Player of the Week awards, as junior Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) earned hitter of the week honors, sophomore Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) reeled in setter of the week, and junior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) was tabbed as defensive player of the week.

The Titans offense has seen French pace the team with 243 kills, averaging 4.19 per set, which rank 34th and 21st across Division III, respectively. Fellow junior Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) sits second on the squad with 130 kills, an average of 2.24 per set. She continues to be one of the most efficient hitters in the nation, as her .382 attack percentage leads the CCIW and is the 18th-best clip across the country. Freshman Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) rounds out the top three hitters for the Green and White, having totaled 116 kills for an average of 2.15 per set.

Feeney and senior Abby Erdman (Aurora, Ill.-Metea Valley) have orchestrated the majority of the Titan offense this season. Feeney leads the way with 263 assists, while Erdman follows closely with 206. Fifth-year Jordan Pierce (Bonfield, Ill.-Herscher) is third for the Titans with 119 on the season. French, Bardouniotis, and Feeney lead the Green and White at the service line with 35, 31, and 16 aces, respectively.

On the defensive side, Boyd brings in a team-best 221 digs to Wednesday's contest, averaging 4.91 digs per set. French's 179 digs are second on the team, and she sits nine digs away from registering her 1000th career dig. Bardouniotis is third for the Titans with an even 100 on the season. Making her net presence known, sophomore Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) leads the team with 48 blocks, averaging a conference-best 0.92 blocks per set. Tellor is second for IWU with 37 rejections, followed by senior Morgan Harrington (Plainfield, Ill.-Plainfield East) with 23 stuffs.

Illinois Wesleyan and Carthage (10-5, 3-0 CCIW) will meet for the 53rd time, with the series dating back to 1994. Trailing 30-22 in the series, the Titans look to get back in the win column after dropping the most recent meeting in straight sets Sept. 20, 2023. French posted a team-high 13 kills, followed by then-junior Carly Kuehl (St. Louis, Mo.-Parkway West) with 10. Erdman led the team with 19 assists, and Palmer finished with a team-best three blocks. The Firebirds come to the Shirk Center after sweeping North Park Saturday, Oct. 5.

A live stream with men's volleyball players Hayden Warfield and Vince DiCosola can be followed by clicking here, while live stats can be accessed here.

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