BLOOMINGTON, ILLINOIS - SEPTEMBER, 12: Titan Athletics (Photo by Ashtin Elder/AJE Photography)

AJE Photography 2026

Titans Tangle with Thunder Wednesday

Women’s Volleyball stays at fourth in latest AVCA Poll

9/29/2026 2:41:00 PM

AVCA Poll

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - After the release of the week four American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, the Illinois Wesleyan Volleyball women's volleyball team remained at No. 4 in the country before its clash with Wheaton College Wednesday, Sept. 30. The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest is set for 7 p.m. inside the Shirk Center.

UW-Oskosh continues its run at the top of the list with 1850 points and 54 first-place votes. The rest of the top-five stayed the same with Berry collecting 18 first-place votes and UW-Eau Claire with two first-place votes sitting second and third, respectively. The Green and White secured one first-place get while Juniata rounded out the top-five.

The Green and White (12-1, 1-0 CCIW) is coming off a one-match week in which it defeated Carroll University 3-1 inside Van Male Fieldhouse to open the conference slate. Through Sept. 29, IWU's schedule has been the second-toughest in Division III, holding three top-25 wins within the first month of action. Furthermore, the Titans have played four sets in eight straight matches, holding a 7-1 mark over the span.

Statistically for the IWU offense, it has been a balanced attack with junior Alex Bardouniotis (St. Charles, Ill.-St. Charles North) leading the charge with 3.37 kills per set. Last week consisted of her third straight double-double performance and eighth of the season. The junior has smoked a team-high 172 kills and is second on the squad in digs with 160. Sophomore Carly Whitaker (Morton, Ill.-Morton) has inserted herself as a top weapon for the offense with 130 kills in 48 sets for a kills per set of 2.71. The tandem has helped land IWU fifth in the country in kills per set at 13.67.

Helping orchestrate the offense is the hometown duo of senior Sophia Feeney (Bloomington, Ill.-Normal Community) and sophomore Lauren O'Brien (Bloomington, Ill.-Central Catholic). Feeney, a staple in the offense, has collected 282 assists to lead the way with O'Brien behind her with 202. In the national ranks, the Green and White sits 18th in assists per set with 12.22.

The unsung hero for the Titans has been the defense, led by junior Alysa Lawton (Elmhurst, Ill.-IC Catholic Prep). The two-time CCIW Defensive Player of the Week is 10th in the country in digs per set with 5.73 as the team sits 37th in the category. The middle combination of senior Eleanor Palmer (Chicago, Ill.-DePaul College Prep) and junior Juliana Valdez (Palos Heights, Ill.-Marist) provides a strong presence at the net, recording 41 and 40 blocks each.

Illinois Wesleyan holds a strong upperhand against Wheaton (5-11, 0-1 CCIW) with a 25-11 record since 1994. The Green and White has won five in-a-row with four being sweeps against the Thunder. Over the past 10 years, Illinois Wesleyan has taken control of the series with a 9-2 advantage. As the home team, the Titans are 15-5 against WC. A year ago, IWU swept both matches as the two met once in Wheaton during the regular season, and once at the Shirk Center in the CCIW semifinal match. The usual suspects led the charge for the Titans last season at home, as Barouniotis and Whitaker enjoyed big nights along with Feeney and O'Brien.

The Green and White kicks off its home portion of the conference slate with a 7 p.m. serve against the Thunder. Fans can follow along with the action via a live steam and live stats which can be found here.

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