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Taylor French celebrating with team after becoming program's all-time kills leader
Sam Okewole
1
Carroll (WI) CAR 15-13,3-4 CCIW
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 21-2,7-0 CCIW
Carroll (WI) CAR
15-13,3-4 CCIW
1
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
21-2,7-0 CCIW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Carroll (WI) CAR 25 22 11 22 (1)
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 20 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Women’s Volleyball Wins CCIW Regular Season Title, French Becomes All-Time Kills Leader

Senior eclipses 1,778th career kill to surpass now-assistant coach Tyler White

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - For the first time in Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball history, the Titans have secured back-to-back College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Regular Season Championships, defeating Carroll University in four sets Wednesday night, Oct. 29 (20-25, 25-22, 25-11, 25-22). The win boosts the Green and White to 21-2, and an unblemished 7-0 in CCIW play, while Carroll dips to 15-13 overall, and 3-4 in league action.

On top of the celebration of the conference championship, the match saw senior Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) break the program's all-time kills record, as she notched her 1,778th kill to end the third set, surpassing now-assistant coach Tyler White (nee Brown). In déjà vu fashion, French broke the record against the same team that White claimed the kills crown, as the latter did so against the Pios during the 2018 campaign. 

With the entire Shirk Center keyed in on French, junior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) powered the Titan attack with a 10 kills on a monstrous .563 clip alongside four total blocks. Palmer notched two solo stuffs and assisted on two more in a tremendous all-around performance. Sophomore Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) tied French for the team-high with 13 kills. Bardoiniotis completed a double-double with 14 digs and tied for the team lead with four aces. Freshman Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) and junior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) finished with six kills apiece while neither rightside recorded an error. 

Freshman Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) collected a career-high 29 assists and added four digs, while junior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) added 16 helpers, four aces, and seven digs. Senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) paced the team with 17 digs.

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan held the upperhand in kills (53-41), assists (49-37), and aces (10-9).

An unexpected start saw the Titans struggle out of the gate as the Green and White came up with errors on its first three swings while Carroll ran ahead, 6-0. Despite two timeouts by head coach Kim Nelson-Brown, IWU starred down an eight-point deficit, 14-6.

Back-to-back aces and a timely kill from Bardouniotis trimmed the Pio lead to four, 16-12, but the visitors claimed a 23-16 lead late. With its back against the wall, Illinois Wesleyan ended a marathon rally with a tool of the block by French. Palmer followed with a kill of her own and added a solo stuff in the middle to cut the CU lead to 23-19 as the visitors called a timeout. The reset proved impactful as IWU's momentum stalled while Carroll took the opening set, 25-20.

O'Brien set the hot-handed Palmer for a kill to kick off set two, giving IWU its first lead of the night, 1-0. The set stayed tight for much of the early goings as the score was deadlocked at nine all. Palmer came through with a kill on a slide to push the Titans ahead, 10-9. 

After dropping in an ace, Boyd's serve set up Tellor for an over-ball kill to stretch the Green and White's lead to four, 14-10. Whitaker slammed down a kill from Bardouniotis to force a CU timeout with the home team up five.

With the Pioneers within striking distance and the Titan lead trimmed to two, 20-18, Whitaker punched another kill through the block. Moments later, Palmer cued set point with her seventh kill of the night. Having entered the game to serve and then remaining in the game for her defensive prowess, senior Raegan Watts (Forsyth, Ill.-Maroa Forsyth) dug out a CU swing to keep a rally going before ending a chaotic rally with an over-ball that fell for a set-clinching kill. The kill from the five-foot-four senior sealed a 25-22 triumph and leveled the match at one set apiece.

The third set saw the Green and White control things from the jump. An incredible up from French led to a kill from Shannon to propel IWU ahead, 8-3. The Pios mounted a mini comeback, but French put an end to that with a hammer of a kill to give IWU a 10-7 edge.

Palmer's solo stuff doubled up CU, 18-9, and Bardouniotis aces inched the Green and White ahead, 20-9. French took over in the final few points as two kills and a CU error gave the Titans set point, 24-10. Fittingly, Feeney went right back to French on the outside, who came up with the set-winning kill and claimed sole possession of Illinois Wesleyan's all-time kills record. French's 1,778th career kill put the Titans on the edge of victory, two sets to one, with a 25-11 win.

The fourth set appeared to be in hand as Shannon and Palmer combined for a block to grab a 21-15 lead. Carroll had one last push left though, battling all the way back to level the score at 22. Bardouniotis handled a gnarly CU serve and put a pass tight on the net, where Shannon called her own number for a slide. The junior right-side hitter caught the Pios on their heels and smashed the ball for a 23-22 Titan advantage. After Feeney's ace made it match-point, 24-22, an attack error by the visitors sealed the four-set win.

The Green and White turn its attention to some top-five non-conference action inside the Shirk Center Friday-Saturday, Oct. 31-Nov. 1. IWU will take on No. 3 University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh Friday night, Oct. 31, at 7 p.m., followed by facing fifth-ranked Juniata College Saturday, Nov. 1.
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