Fort Wayne, Ind. – Samantha Fournier recorded a triple-double while Peyton Crosser and Mallory Gibson each had career-high hitting percentages as Western Illinois picked up a crucial league victory over Fort Wayne on Sunday (Oct. 26). The 3-1 decision in favor of the Leathernecks improves their record to 5-17 (3-6) while the Mastodons fell to 10-15 (4-6).
 
"A lot came together for us today. We had a balanced attack and had standout offensive and defensive performances across the board," said head coach April Hall. "I'm proud of our strong offensive options and I'm also proud of Sam for running such a well-balanced attack. Everyone showed up today in every position and showed what a true team effort looks like for Leatherneck Volleyball."
 
Western opened the match by taking a tightly contested first set in which no team led by more than two points. With the Leathernecks trailing 20-19, Western used a 3-0 run to go up, 22-20. Fort Wayne countered with three straight points to regain the lead and was in a position to steal the first set. However, the Purple and Gold held strong and claimed the final three points of the set. First Ann Miller recorded a kill from the outside off a Fournier assist. Freshman Kayla Ruff backed that up with an ace, and a Mastodon hitting error capped off the 25-23 victory for Western.
 
After Fort Wayne evened the match with a 25-21 victory in the second set, Western Illinois claimed the third and fourth set en route to a 3-1 victory. The Leathernecks stormed out of the gate in the third set, opening the match with a 10-2 lead. The early advantage was aided by a 7-0 run that featured kills from four different Leathernecks and an ace by Miller. Western never looked back and cruised to a 25-16 victory after hitting .621 as a team in the set.
 
The final frame opened in similar fashion, as Western quickly jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Western Illinois once again used a strong offensive output, hitting at a .542 clip to maintain its lead over the Mastodons. Fort Wayne would never get within three points of Western Illinois and a Mallory Gibson kill would end the match, 25-18, in favor of the Purple and Gold.
 
Fournier had a career day in the victory, as she recorded a triple-double (39 assists, 10 kills, 10 digs). Crosser and Gibson each had banner days, they both recorded a career-high in hitting percentage (.684). Crosser had 14 kills and one error on 19 total attacks, while Gibson was perfect at the net, collecting 13 kills and no errors on 19 attacks. Miller was the fourth Leatherneck to top the 10-kill mark, as she picked up 14 on the afternoon. Molly Murphy anchored the back line with 14 digs.
 
The victory puts the Leathernecks one game behind Fort Wayne and North Dakota State for a spot in the Summit League Tournament. Western continues league action next weekend with a pair of road matches. The Leathernecks will first travel to Tulsa, Oklahoma on Oct. 31 for a match against Oral Roberts before heading to Denver (Nov. 2) to face the Pioneers. First serves are slated for 7 p.m. and 3 p.m. (CT), respectively.