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Hannah Tellor celebrating a point with her team against Greenville Aug. 30, 2025
ASHTIN ELDER PHOTO
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 8-0,1-0 CCIW
0
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 10-4,0-1 CCIW
Winner
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
8-0,1-0 CCIW
3
Final
0
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL
10-4,0-1 CCIW
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 25 25 25 (3)
Wheaton (IL) WHEIL 14 19 16 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Women’s Volleyball Rolls Past Wheaton in CCIW Opener

Titans earn seventh straight sweep

WHEATON, Ill. - The No. 10 Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team notched its seventh straight sweep, downing Wheaton College to open College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play Wednesday night, Sept. 17, at King Arena. The Titans continue their program-best start, as they move to 8-0 overall, and 1-0 in CCIW action, winning with set scores of 25-14, 25-19, and 25-16. 

Illinois Wesleyan's offense produced a .237 attack percentage with 36 kills, while stifling the Thunder (10-4, 0-1 CCIW) to the tune of 23 kills and a sub-zero clip (-.011). IWU also held the advantage in assists (34-21), aces (8-1), and recorded the only three blocks in the match, while Wheaton notched the upperhand in digs, 42-36.

The Titan offense was led by sophomore Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) and senior Taylor French's (Romeoville, Ill.-Plainfield East) impressive night, as they each produced double-digit kills. Bardouniotis finished with 12 kills on a .304 clip, while French tallied 11 on a .348 showing. Senior Hannah Tellor (Metamora, Ill.-Metamora Township) totaled six kills alongside a team-high three aces. French and junior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) each posted a pair. 

Feeney and freshman Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) split setting duties, as Feeney led the way with 17, and O'Brien finished with 13. 

Leading the defense, senior Kannyn Boyd (Mt. Pleasant, Mich.-Mt. Pleasant) and French each totaled nine digs. Feeney and O'Brien finished with five apiece. Playing a key role in limiting the Thunder to a sub-zero hitting percentage, Tellor led the net defense, as she played a role in all three blocks for the Titans. Junior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) added two, and Bardouniotis assisted on one. 

IWU got things rolling early, jumping out to a 7-2 lead to begin the opening set. With WC miscues, Tellor gave the Green and White its fifth straight point on an ace to close out the opening run. After a Thunder sideout, Bardouniotis smashed one down the line to make it 8-3 to keep momentum on the visitor's side. 

Continuing to control the pace, O'Brien found Bardouniotis for a kill to spark another run. Boyd followed with an ace, and two straight Wheaton attack errors forced the home team to use a timeout trailing 12-5. 

The break proved to work in Wheaton's favor, as it fired off four straight points to get back in the set, but Illinois Wesleyan responded. Shannon buried a set from O'Brien to spark a five-point run that featured three French kills and a Feeney ace. Another attack error made it a 10-point cushion for the Titans, who cruised to a 25-14 opening-set win.

Up 7-4 early in the second set, a service error began a spurt of seven straight points for IWU. French and Bardouniotis followed with kills, and after two straight attack errors, junior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) buried a ball sent over early. Bardouniotis closed out the string of points with a kill, making it 14-4.

After Wheaton closed the advantage to five, 22-17, O'Brien found French for a kill, and Boyd aced the home team on the ensuing point to put the set in reach, 24-17. WC fended off two straight points, but an attack error gave the Green and White the set, 25-19.

With a one point lead, Illinois Wesleyan took control of the third set via a 9-1 run. After an attack error got the Green and White a sideout, Bardouniotis made a great save to keep the point alive, and Tellor turned it into a kill, making it 9-6. An attack error was followed by a Shannon-Tellor stuff, forcing the Thunder to call timeout. The break did little to stop the Titans, as the Shannon-Tellor duo closed out the run with a block, making it 13-6 in favor of the visitors.

Illinois Wesleyan never looked back in the set, cruising to a 25-16 win to close out the sweep.

The Titans return to the Shirk Center for the IWU Tournament II Friday-Saturday, Sept. 19-20. Illinois Wesleyan opens the weekend against Wittenberg University Friday, Sept. 19, at 4:30 p.m.
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