CCIW Release

NAPERVILLE, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team saw four Titans named to the All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Teams, announced by the league office Monday, Nov. 11. Additionally, Illinois Wesleyan collected three specialty awards.

Juniors Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) and Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) were named First Team All-CCIW, while junior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) and sophomore Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) earned Second Team All-CCIW honors. French was named the CCIW Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, and freshman Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) was tabbed as the First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year. Senior Abby Erdman (Aurora, Ill.-Metea Valley) was IWU's recipient of the CCIW RESPECT award. 

Head Coach Kim Nelson-Brown was named the CCIW Coach of the Year after leading the Titans to a perfect 8-0 record in conference play, earning the CCIW Regular Season Championship outright for the first time since 2021. Nelson-Brown leads a staff that includes assistant coaches Tyler Brown, Tony Gliwa, Ryan Raycraft, Maggie Nelson, and Nicole Bing. It is the fourth time Nelson-Brown has been named the conference's Coach of the Year, as she earned the award in 2003, 2018, and 2021. 

French reels in her third First Team All-CCIW honor, adding to her highly decorated resume. The two-time CCIW Offensive Player of the Year ranked in the top-five in four categories in CCIW action. French led the conference in kills (134), and her average of 4.47 kills per set was second in the CCIW. She accumulated a league-leading 22 aces, averaging 0.73 per set. French's 163 points are a conference-high, and her 5.43 points per set is good for second. The junior also ranks in the top-10 in digs and digs per set. Her 84 digs are the eighth-most, second-most among outside hitters, while her average 3.13 digs per set is the 10th-best in the league.

Tellor earns All-CCIW honors for the first time in her career after transferring to IWU prior to the start of the school year. The Metamora, Ill. native posted an attack percentage of .326 in CCIW action, the second-highest hitting percentage in the league. Tellor recorded 63 kills, third-most on the team behind French and Bardouniotis, an average of 2.10 kills per set. Additionally, the middle hitter accrued 19 blocks, second-most on the squad, averaging 0.63 per set, 30 digs, eight assists, and six aces in conference action. 

Also earning All-CCIW honors for the first time after transferring, Boyd was tabbed to the second team, as she helped lead the Titan defense. The libero led the team with 139 digs, averaging 4.63 per set, both of which rank fifth in the CCIW. Boyd also tallied 27 assists and two aces in conference play. Boyd played a large role in the Green and White defense that led the league in opponent hitting percentage, limiting offenses to a .139 attack percentage. 

Feeney garners Second Team All-CCIW honors after a strong sophomore season helping set up the IWU offense. The sophomore led the team with 141 assists, the seventh-most among all setters in conference, and averaged 5.42 assists per set, good for sixth in the league, while helping Illinois Wesleyan run a 6-2 offense. Feeney played a strong role in the Titan offense that led the conference in assists with an average of 12.10 per set, and orchestrated the offense that led the league with 13.23 kills per set. Feeney also added 59 digs, averaging 2.27 per set, four aces, and a kill in conference action. It is the sixth straight season Illinois Wesleyan has had at least one setter on the all-conference list, having totaled eight setters since 2018. Feeney is the sixth different setter to earn the honor as she joins Jordan Pierce (2023), Abby Erdman (2022), Madi Cory (2018, 2019 & 2021), Ava Porada (2021), and Leah Seielstad (2018). 

Bardouniotis was named the First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year after putting together a solid freshman campaign. The St. Charles, Ill. native tied for the second-most aces in conference action with 19, while her average of 0.66 aces per set is good for fourth. Bardouniotis racked up 64 kills, second-most on the squad, averaging 2.21 per set, along with 83 digs, third-most on the team, with an average of 2.86 per set, six blocks, and an assist. 

Illinois Wesleyan, the top seed in the conference tournament, awaits the winner of fourth-seed North Central College and fifth-seed North Park University for its CCIW Semifinal contest Thursday night, Nov. 14. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Shirk Center with fans encouraged to show up in green attire for a green out. 

CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Taylor French, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Bailey Houlihan, North Central

CCIW Setter of the Year
Maddi Barickman, North Central

CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year
Alex Bardouniotis, Illinois Wesleyan

CCIW Coach of the Year
Kim Nelson-Brown

All-CCIW First Team
Devinn Bell, Carthage
Jenna Damon, Carthage
Kristina Manojlovic, Carthage
Kaitie Rohe, Carthage
Taylor French, Illinois Wesleyan
Hannah Tellor, Illinois Wesleyan
Kyra Carothers, Millikin
Delaney Higgins, Millikin
Kailee Itzenhuiser, Millikin
Maddi Barickman, North Central
Bailey Houlihan, North Central
Adriana Rodriguez, North Park

All-CCIW Second Team
Emily Schipper, Augustana
Kylie Wittnebel, Carroll
Liv Carel, Carthage
Kali Phillips, Elmhurst
Kannyn Boyd, Illinois Wesleyan
Sophia Feeney, Illinois Wesleyan
Abbi Barickman, North Central
Amber Vande Hei, North Central
Carolina Aviles, North Park
Caroline Capps, Wheaton

CCIW RESPECT Award Recipients
Ashley Awbrey, Augustana
Ella Pettinger, Carthage
Rebekah Andreae, Carroll
Kellyn Kennedy, Elmhurst
Abby Erdman, Illinois Wesleyan
Kaitlyn Skowronski, Millikin
Sarah Harvey, North Central
Stefania Balestra, North Park
Emerson Traweek, Wheaton