AVCA Poll Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Continuing its stretch of contests on the road, the seventh-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team travels to Carthage College for a College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest Wednesday, Oct. 8. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m. inside Tarble Arena.

The Titans enter the match with a 14-1 overall, and are 3-0 in CCIW action. IWU most recently defeated North Park University in straight sets Wednesday night, Oct. 1, using a dominant offense to do so. The Green and White hit .385 as a team, and saw six Titans post five-or-more kills. Senior Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) and sophomore Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) led the way with nine kills apiece, each hitting .500 or higher. Junior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) put on a show in her hometown, as she finished with seven kills and a team-high four blocks. The strong performances from Bardouniotis and Palmer landed them CCIW Player of the Week honors Monday, Oct. 6, each earning it for the first time in their careers. Bardouniotis was tabbed as the hitter of the week, while Palmer was named the defensive player of the week.

With the win at North Park, IWU moved up one spot on the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll, checking back in at No. 7. It ties the program's best ranking set earlier this season. The top four teams remained the same, with La Verne commanding the top spot. East Texas Baptist checks in at No. 2, followed by UW-Oshkosh, and UW-Whitewater. Juniata jumped in at No. 5, and Emory sits in front of the Titans at sixth. 

As a team, Illinois Wesleyan has featured a powerful and balanced offense all season, as the Titans rank sixth nationally in kills per set with an average of 13.65. Senior Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) leads the way with 189 kills, averaging 3.86 per set, and doing so on a .247 attack percentage. Bardouniotis is second with 144 kills, an average of 2.94 per set, followed by Tellor with 98. French also leads the team in aces with 39, while her 0.80 aces per set average ranks 17th in Division III. Freshman Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) is second with 31 aces, and Bardouniotis rounds out the top three with 22.

Orchestrating the IWU offense, O'Brien and junior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) have split setting duties for the majority of the season. The duo have guided the Green and White to the most assists per set in the CCIW with an average of 12.33, a mark that ranks 14th nationally. Feeney sits atop the team with 272 assists, averaging 5.55 per set, while O'Brien closely follows with 247, an average of 5.04 per set. 

Defensively, senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) leads the team in digs with 199, averaging 4.42 per set. Bardouniotis sits second with 157, an average of 3.20 per set, followed by French's 131. Palmer holds the team-lead in blocks with 32, while Tellor closely trails with 31 rejections. Junior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) is third with 20 stuffs on the season. 

A historic series dating back to 1994, IWU will meet Carthage on the court for the 54th time. Carthage enters the clash off a five-set loss to No. 5 University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Saturday, Oct. 4. The Firebirds, who were ranked nationally just a few weeks ago, play host to the Titans with eyes on improving their 13-6 record. Carthage sits at 1-1 in league action. The Firebirds own a 30-23 edge in the series, but Illinois Wesleyan has won four of the last five meetings. The Green and White swept CC last year inside Shirk Center, handing the Firebirds their first CCIW loss of the season, as the Titans went on to win the conference regular season title in undefeated fashion. French paced the hot-hitting offense with 15 kills on a .387 showing, while Shannon scorched the Firebirds with eight kills on a .538 clip. Boyd tallied a team-high 11 digs alongside Feeney's team-best 18 assists. Tellor notched three blocks, tied for the most in the match. 

Carthage will be providing a live stream, which can be found here, while live stats can be accessed by clicking here.