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Volleyball Huddle vs. Akron
WIU Visual Productions Center
3
Winner Akron AKRON 1-1
0
Western Illinois WIU 0-1
Winner
Akron AKRON
1-1
3
Final
0
Western Illinois WIU
0-1
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 F
Akron AKRON 25 25 25 (3)
Western Illinois WIU 19 18 8 (0)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Volleyball Opens 2015 Season with Defeat to Akron

Leathernecks drop opening match of Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational

MACOMB, Ill. – A new era of Western Illinois volleyball was ushered into Western Hall on Friday, August 28, as the Leathernecks took to the court on the opening day of the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Invitational. 10 members made their Purple and Gold debut Friday evening as Western dropped a 3-0 decision to Akron. Western's defeat moves them to 0-1 while Akron evens its record to 1-1.
 
"I think that with such a young team it is going to take a little bit of time for us to build that trust and that chemistry that we have been talking about," said head coach Kelly Richardson. "They have been continuing to improve on that but obviously we didn't put it out consistently tonight. We saw good moments, for sure, out of quite a few of them. It's just consistently being able to put that out there every point, and as a young group, learning how to deal with how to recover when a mistake happens. It is going to be a little bit of a process but they will do a good job of fixing those mistakes."
 
Western took to the court in the first set with a starting lineup in which five of the seven athletes were making their first appearance in the Purple and Gold. Senior starters Peyton Crosser and Jordan Jackson provided experience and leadership to freshmen Shiah Sanders, Abby Skryd, Melanie Patenaude, and Sierra Bauder, who were making their collegiate debut. Junior college transfer Kaili Simmons, a team captain along with Crosser and Jackson, made her first appearance at the DI level and anchored the back line of defense.
 
The Leathernecks looked strong out of the gate, as they played Akron point-for-point in the early going of the first set. Western gained a 9-8 lead midway through the set thanks to a kill and service ace from Bauder on either side of a Zip hitting error. After a mini run by Akron to take the lead, WIU was able to pull the set within a point following back-to-back kills by Crosser and Sanders. The run couldn't be sustained as Akron closed out the set with a 25-19 victory.
 
Western jumped out to its biggest lead of the night early in the second set, as they built a 9-4 advantage over the Zips. An Akron attacking error started the run and evened the score at four. Bauder and Sanders teamed up for a block before Sanders recorded one of her team-leading seven kills the following play. Back-to-back attack errors from Akron ensued, and Bauder would close the run with another kill of her own. The visiting Zips clawed their way back into the set, and eventually closed out the second set with a 25-18 victory and 2-0 lead in the match. Akron used their momentum to take the third and final set by a 25-8 final.
 
Sanders seven kills tied the team-high, as Crosser also picked up seven kills on the night. Skryd recorded a double-double in her first collegiate match, as she ended the night with 28 assists and 10 digs. Simmons paced the defensive effort with 13 digs Friday.
 
The Purple and Gold have a short turnaround, as they take to the courts Saturday morning for the second and final day of the invitational. Western will be featured in the opening match of the day as the Leathernecks face Drake at 11 a.m. before ending the tournament with a 7 p.m. contest against DePaul.
  
 
 
 
 
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