BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - In a top-10 battle of Titans, the sixth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team swept third-ranked University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh inside a boisterous Shirk Center Friday evening, Oct. 31. The Green and White moved to 22-2 on the season with set scores of 25-11, 27-25, and 25-18. UWO (24-3) saw its win streak halted at 11.

Seniors Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) and Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) powered a potent IWU attack. French totaled 17 kills on a hefty .452 clip alongside 15 digs and three aces. She also got in on two blocks in a strong all-around showing. Tellor notched a dozen kills, hitting .500 for the night, while posting a team-high three rejections. Freshman Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) balanced out the attack with six kills from the rightside, doing so at a .417 clip.

Junior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) was exceptional, dishing out a match-best 24 assists, while bolstering her line with seven digs and a team-high four aces. Freshman Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) added 14 assists with five digs. Senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) added 15 digs, tying French for the match-lead.

Illinois Wesleyan came out of the gate hot, stunning UW-Oshkosh as the home team flew out to an 8-3 lead to force an early timeout. The reset slowed the Green and White, but it was only temporary as French punched one through the block for a 10-7, IWU lead. Illinois Wesleyan used a challenge and a French kill to climb ahead, 12-7, before Tellor downed a set from O'Brien for a 13-8 advantage.

IWU rattled off the next three points out of UWO timeout. After an error by the visitors, Feeney served up an ace. Boyd scooped an incredible dig to lead to a kill from French and Tellor combined with French on the next play for a rejection to drive Illinois Wesleyan ahead, 17-8. The Green and White stretched its lead to double-digits before kills by Whitaker and sophomore Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) ended the set, 25-11.

To its credit, UW-Oshkosh responded in the second set, stunning IWU in the early goings. UWO rattled off the first three points before grabbing a 13-6 edge to bring about a timeout from head coach Kim Nelson-Brown.

Regrouping proved pivotal as the home team got on track and seized momentum from their counterparts. Kills from Tellor and French along with a Feeney ace trimmed the deficit to two, 13-11. 

Back-to-back kills from French and Tellor pulled the Green and White within one, 20-19, into another UWO timeout. French knotted the score at 20 and Whitaker later leveled it at 23 all. The rookie teamed up with Tellor for a block to push things to set-point, but UWO answered to even things at 25-25. A backrow kill from French put IWU on the doorstep and Bardouniotis tooled a block to secure the 27-25 victory.

Leading two sets to none, Feeney aced the visitors to set the tone. Back-to-back kills from French drove IWU ahead, 4-0, as the home team retained control.

UW-Oshkosh did not go down without a fight though, clawing back to take a 13-12 edge. Shannon dialed up consecutive kills to reclaim a 14-13 advantage. A heady play by French resulted in a kill and a two-point edge, 15-13.

A Tellor kill sparked a four-point spurt by the Green and White that included an ace from Feeney and a kill from French ahead of UWO's final timeout. The pause proved ineffective as the Titans went right back to French for a slam to up the lead to six, 20-14.

Amid a lengthy rally, Feeney one-handed a set in the middle for Tellor, who put the ball away for her 12th kill of the night. Whitaker followed with a kill of her own and Bardouniotis finished off the sweep, 25-18.

Another top-10 matchup awaits Illinois Wesleyan as the Green and White square off with No. 5 Juniata tomorrow, Nov. 1, at 1:30 p.m. The match will serve as IWU's Senior Day, honoring Raegan Watts (Forsyth, Ill.-Maroa Forsyth), French, Tellor, and Boyd. Pregame recognitions are set for 1:30 p.m.