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WVB Team Celly 11-12-2026 vs Millikin
AJE Photography 2026
0
Millikin MIL-U 15-17,4-4 CCIW
3
Winner Ill. Wesleyan IWU 26-3,8-0 CCIW
Millikin MIL-U
15-17,4-4 CCIW
0
Final
3
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
26-3,8-0 CCIW
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Millikin MIL-U 10 20 14 (0)
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball |

Women’s Volleyball Advances to CCIW Tournament Title Match

Titans shutdown Millikin in straight sets

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 2 ranked Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team took just 78 minutes to soar into the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship with a sweep of fourth-seeded Millikin University Thursday night, Nov. 12, inside the Shirk Center. The Big Blue saw their season come to a close with a 16-16 record. The Titans (25-3) will host third-seeded Elmhurst University in the conference title match Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m.

The Green and White used an aggressive attack to blow by the Big Blue. IWU hit .278 with 42 kills on 108 swings and served up seven aces. MU finished the match with 27 kills, 19 hitting errors, and a .078 attack percentage. The Big Blue's hitting percentage was the third-lowest the Green and White have limited opponents to and the second worst MU has totalled. The Titans also led in digs (52-39), while the Big Blue posted a 7-3 edge in blocks.

Junior Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.- St. Charles North) led the Titans with a dozen kills on a .258 clip. Freshman Josie Neukomm (Cissna Park, Ill.-Cissna Park) followed with eight kills while hitting .467. Senior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-Chicago DePaul Prep) tacked on seven kills on 17 swings. Sophomore Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic) and senior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) directed the attack, notching 18 and 15 assists, respectively. With her fourth assist of the night, O'Brien became the 17th member of the program's 1000 assist club.

Junior Alysa Lawton (Elmhurst, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep) captained the backline with a match-leading 20 digs. Junior Graci Junis (Morton, Ill.-Morton) and sophomore Shelby Sennett (Normal, Ill.-Normal West) contributed seven apiece, while sophomore Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) and junior Juliana Valdez (Palos Heights, Ill.-Marist) net two blocks each.

Illinois Wesleyan overpowered Millikin in the opener, rolling to a 4-0 lead as the Big Blue struggled to keep pace with the Titans. MU nearly got on the board, but a timely challenge by Kim Nelson-Brown resulted in a back row kill from Bardouniotis. 

The Green and White continued its stronghold with a Junis ace stretching the lead to six. A nifty dig by Valdez kept a rally alive for a Whitaker kill and Lawton dropped in an ace to force a Millikin timeout with the home team in front, 10-2. IWU's outsides teamed up for a point to make it a double-digit margin. Bardouniotis set a ball to Junis on the outside for the kill for a 16-6 advantage. Sennett smacked an ace into the middle of the floor before kills by Shannon and Bardouniotis alongside MU miscues cued set point, 24-10. Stepping to the service line, O'Brien ended the set with Illinois Wesleyan's fifth ace of the set.

The Big Blue held the advantage in set two, but back-to-back Sennett aces leveled the score at eight all. After a series of ties, Millikin used a 6-1 run to open up a four-point lead, 19-15. A service error by the visitors sparked the home team as Palmer pushed an O'Brien set around the block. Coming in off the bench, Neukomm powered the final points of a Titan comeback with three straight kills to knot the score, 20-20. The run continued with a Valdez kill over the block and Shannon hammered down set point to close the 10-1 run.

Ahead in the match two sets to none, Illinois Wesleyan continued the momentum early with a 3-1 lead as Shannon dumped a ball in for a score. Millikin fought back to take a 4-3 lead but Whitaker tooled a ball to regain the edge. The next ball was sent over prematurely into the hands of Bardouniotis who left a dent in the hardwood with the swing for a 6-4 lead. Palmer and Bardouniotis piled on kills for a 9-4 advantage that eventually ballooned to double digits.

Millikin chipped away with a two-point spurt late, but the Big Blue were no match for the balance of IWU. Palmer and Whitaker combined for a block for a 24-13 lead and Shannon punched the Titans' ticket to the CCIW Tournament Championship with a slam to the back line. 

The Green and White host its third consecutive CCIW Championship at the Shirk Center Saturday, Nov. 14 as it meets No. 3 seed Elmhurst. First serve between the Titans and Blue Jays is scheduled for 1 p.m.
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