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French celebrating a kill against Wittenberg Sept. 19, 2025
Kodiak Creative
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 15-1,4-0 CCIW
1
Carthage CARTH 13-7,1-2 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
15-1,4-0 CCIW
3
Final
1
Carthage CARTH
13-7,1-2 CCIW
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 25 25 23 25 (3)
Carthage CARTH 20 15 25 14 (1)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Women’s Volleyball Picks up Key CCIW Win at Carthage

Titans down Firebirds in four sets

KENOSHA, Wis. - The No. 7 Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team picked up a key win in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin race at Carthage College Wednesday night, Oct. 8. The Titans (15-1, 4-0 CCIW) downed the Firebirds (13-7, 1-2 CCIW) in four sets with scores of 25-20, 25-15, 23-25, 25-14. 

IWU's offense was powered by senior Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East), who finished with 16 kills and six aces. Sophomore Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) added 14 kills and a pair of aces to her stat line. Junior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) and senior Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) tied for third on the team in kills with six apiece. 

The setter duo of junior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) and freshman Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) continued to orchestrate the offense. Feeney led the way with 28 assists, while O'Brien tallied 15. 

On the defensive end, senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) commanded the Titans with 26 digs, as the IWU defense limited Carthage to a .106 showing. French and Bardouniotis each finished with double-double performances behind 13 and 11 digs, respectively. Tellor led the Green and White net defense with four blocks, while Shannon posted three. Freshman Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) added a pair of rejections to her strong, one by way of a solo stuff. 

As a team, the Titans took home advantages in kills (52-38), aces (10-7), assists (46-36), and digs (72-68), while Carthage finished with the edge in blocks, 9-7.

Illinois Wesleyan took quick control of the opening set, as French downed a set from Feeney, and then followed with a kill to take an early 3-1 lead. A Carthage attack error made it 4-1 early in a set that the Green and White would control from start to finish. Boyd found Bardouniotis for a kill, and Shannon hammered one down following a Firebirds miscue to bring the score to 9-4, prompting a Carthage timeout. 

O'Brien fed Shannon for a kill to begin and end a 4-1 run that also featured a kill from junior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) and a Boyd ace, making it 19-13 in favor of the visitors as CC used its final timeout of the set. Carthage tried to mount a comeback, but service errors closed out the opening set for the Titans, 25-20.

Trailing 8-7 in the second set, IWU utilized four straight points to regain momentum. After an attack error began the stretch of Green and White points, Shannon and Tellor teamed up for a block on the ensuing attack. O'Brien dished a set to French for a kill, and another Boyd ace upped Illinois Wesleyan's lead to 11-8 as Carthage burned its first timeout of the set. 

IWU used a 7-1 run to lock in the second set, beginning with a block from Whitaker. Feeney fed Tellor's hot hand for a kill, and French followed with an ace to force CC to call its final timeout staring at a 15-10 deficit. Tellor stayed hot with another kill out of a break, and Bardouniotis downed a ball sent over early. Carthage finally got a sideout after committing an attack error, but Tellor got the ball back for the Titans with another kill to make it 19-11. Palmer cued up set point with a kill, and O'Brien sent one over early, catching the Firebirds off guard to lock in the second set, 25-15. 

After dropping a closely-fought third set, 25-23, the first set Illinois Wesleyan has dropped in CCIW play this season, the Titans quickly responded in the fourth. The Green and White used five straight points to steal control early, starting with two straight Bardouniotis kills. Palmer followed a CC miscue with a kill, and Feeney helped Bardouniotis for another kill to end the run, making it 6-3 in favor of the visitors. 

Ahead 21-14 late, a service error brought the Titans a key sideout to begin a stretch of four straight points to close out the set. Carthage committed an attack error, and French did what she does best, as she aced the Firebirds on the next two points to lock in the win with a final set score of 25-14.

Illinois Wesleyan will enjoy the weekend off to celebrate Homecoming before welcoming North Central College to the Shirk Center for a Wednesday night match, Oct. 15. Action is set to begin at 7 p.m.
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