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Women's volleyball celebrating an ace against Augustana Wenesday, Nov. 5
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
0
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 12-14,3-5 CCIW
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 24-2,8-0 CCIW
Augustana (IL) AUGIE
12-14,3-5 CCIW
0
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
24-2,8-0 CCIW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Augustana (IL) AUGIE 13 10 15 (0)
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Women’s Volleyball Flexes Potent Attack in Regular Season Finale Win

Titans post second straight undefeated CCIW slate

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Needing just 70 minutes to take care of business, the fourth-ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team swept Augustana College Wednesday night, Nov. 5, winning with set scores of 25-13, 25-10, 25-15. The win closes out IWU's regular season slate with an overall record of 24-2, and completes the program's second straight undefeated College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin season, moving to 8-0 in league action. It is the first time a team has posted back-to-back undefeated conference slates since Carthage College did so in 2008 and 2009. 

The Titans' offense was dominant for the duration of the contest, finishing with a program-best .521 attack percentage, as the lowest hitter for the Titans hit .440. IWU posted 54 kills and committed just four attack errors, including a perfect first set. The Green and White also finished with the advantage in assists (49-20), digs (49-33), aces (9-3), and blocks (3-2). 

Leading the potent offense, senior Taylor French (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) posted a match-high 15 kills behind a .542 clip, committing just two errors. Sophomore Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) was second with 12 kills, while senior Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) notched nine kills on an errorless .529 attack percentage. 

Evenly splitting setting duties, junior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) and freshman Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) each finished with 20 assists apiece. O'Brien also led the charge from the service line, as she accrued five aces.

On the defensive end, French registered a double-double behind a team-best 16 digs. Senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) and Bardouniotis each recorded 10. Freshman Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) and junior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) posted a pair of blocks apiece.

In an opening set that did not see the Green and White commit an attack error, the Vikings had no answer for IWU. Back-to-back aces from O'Brien prompted an Augie timeout, but the rookie came right back with another ace to double up the Vikings, 10-5.

Junior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) showed off her cannon with a kill and Tellor pushed one through the block to stretch the lead to eight, 17-9. Palmer upped it to double digits, 23-13, and Bardouniotis closed the set, 25-13. 

Illinois Wesleyan rattled off the first three points of the second set as French's serve rolled off the tape for a 3-0 lead. Tellor found the line after Shannon hammered a kill off the block to give the home team a 10-5 lead.

French cued an Augie timeout with a kill at 11-5, but the break did little to stop the home team, as Whitaker and Tellor teamed up for a block to make it a seven point advantage, 12-5. 

The Green and White took the second set handily, closing out by taking the last eight points. French laced a set from Feeney to begin the run, and Palmer followed with a kill, finding the middle wide open. Shannon made it a 10-point advantage with a kill, O'Brien fired off one of her five aces. Bardouniotis bounced the next ball for a kill, as she downed a mishandled O'Brien serve to make it 22-10. After a French kill, O'Brien corked off another ace to set up set point, and Shannon and Powell locked in the score at 25-10 after stuffing an AC attack.

All tied at 11 in the third set, Feeney found Bardouniotis for a kill to break the stalemate, starting a 6-1 run. O'Brien dished sets to Palmer and Bardouniotis to make it a three point break before Augie could get a sideout. Bardouniotis got the Green and White the ball back quickly with a kill, and fired off two straight aces to make it 17-12.

Whitaker tooled a block, utilizing a set from French, to cue match point, and Tellor buried a ball sent over prematurely to complete the sweep, finishing the third set, 25-15. 

Illinois Wesleyan will enjoy a bye in the opening round of the CCIW Tournament before hosting the semifinal contest Thursday, Nov. 13.
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