Audrey Peterson

Women’s Volleyball to Host IWU Tournament II

Titans welcome Greenville, Simpson, and Wittenberg

9/17/2026 10:00:00 AM

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The No. 6 Illinois Wesleyan University women's volleyball team will hold its second IWU Tournament of the year, Friday-Saturday, Sept. 18-19 at the Shirk Center. The Green and White host Greenville University, Simpson College, and Wittenberg University, starting the three-match weekend against WU Friday, Sept. 18, at 7 p.m. All of the tournament matches will be part of the program's St. Jude Weekend.

The four-team tournament features three games for each squad with a packed day Saturday. After facing Wittenberg on day one, Illinois Wesleyan will take on Simpson at 10 a.m. to open Saturday, then close the day with Greenville at 4 p.m.

The Titans (8-1) are coming off their third top-25 win of the season after a three sets to one win over UW-Whitewater. The Titans dominated the first two sets, before dropping the third, and taking the fourth. The offense was a well oiled machine as sophomore Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) and senior Cailin Shannon (Bloomingdale, Ill.-Lake Park) hit .522 and .375 with 13 and 12 kills, respectively.

As a team, the Titans have hammered 461 kills over the first eight matches for a .210 hitting percentage. The Green and White have orchestrated 419 assists and 64 service aces. The defense has been huge for IWU led by back-to-back College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Defensive Player of the Week junior Alysa Lawton (Elmhurst, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep). The defense has totaled 597 digs for 17.1 per set and 118 blocks.

The Green and White has faced WU 10 times, winning just three of them. WU (3-5) visited the IWU's tournament last year where the two matched up as the Titans dominated the Tigers in straight sets. To start the series, the Green and White dropped the first five match ups but are 3-2 in the last five. IWU and WU have met twice in Bloomington, Ill., splitting the matches in 2022 and 2025.

Simpson is IWU's first opponent of the day Saturday as they share a 4-4 record all-time against one another. SC comes to the Shirk Center for the fourth straight time and first since 2014. IWU has dominated the series over the last 10 years, collecting three wins. In those three wins, the Green and White have swept every one and haven't dropped a set to the Storm since its loss in 2013. Simpson started the series hot, winning the four out of five from 2003-2013. Out of the 10 contests, the two have played four or more sets three times.

Lastly, the Titans take on Greenville (5-3) to close out the tournament Saturday at 4 p.m. Separated by a little over two hours, the two institutions have met just three times, with the first coming in 2014. Illinois Wesleyan has won all three matches, sweeping GU last season in Bloomington. IWU took care of the Panthers, 3-1, in 2014 and 2022, both played at the Shirk Center.

The tournament kicks off at 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, Sept 18, with the Green and White playing WIttenberg at 7 p.m. More information about the tournament, including live stats and a live stream, can be found on the tournament central page found here.

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