Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

Krishna Merriman
WIU Visual Productions Center
1
Western Illinois WIU 0-4
3
Winner Iowa IOWA 4-0
Western Illinois WIU
0-4
1
Final
3
Iowa IOWA
4-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Western Illinois WIU 12 8 25 12 (1)
Iowa IOWA 25 25 23 25 (3)
2
Western Illinois WIU 0-5
3
Winner Oakland OAK 4-1
Western Illinois WIU
0-5
2
Final
3
Oakland OAK
4-1
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
Western Illinois WIU 23 27 25 17 14 (2)
Oakland OAK 25 25 10 25 16 (3)

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

Volleyball Drops Pair of Hard-Fought Matches to Iowa and Oakland

Leathernecks look to bounce back tomorrow against Butler

IOWA CITY, IOWA – The Western Illinois volleyball team opened play at the Hawkeye Classic Friday (Sept. 2) where they dropped two hard-fought matches to Iowa (3-1) and Oakland (3-2). With the losses, the Leathernecks fall to 0-5 on the young season.
 
"We saw some really good things out of our team today. Some young kids stepped in and played key roles for us," said head coach Kelly Richardson. "Pushing Iowa to four sets and then coming out and fighting hard against a solid Oakland team was a good move in the right direction for us today. (We need to) have control in the fifth set and we need to be able to finish. We played the last four balls not to make a mistake instead of aggressively and that is where we have to improve."
 
MATCH ONE: Iowa 3, Western Illinois 1
 
The Leathernecks kept it close throughout the first part of the set as they found themselves tied 5-5 following back-to-back kills from Lexi Kolschefski. However, the Hawkeyes went on a 9-2 run to lead 16-7. Kills from Krishna Merriman, Shalyn Greenhaw and Mackenzie Steckler cut the deficit to eight, but the Leathernecks weren't able to find much momentum toward the end of the set as Iowa won 25-12.
 
After dropping the second set 25-8, the Leathernecks came out and put the pressure on the Hawkeyes in set three. Both sides exchanged points throughout the match and Western took its first lead of the set (10-9) following a kill by Shiah Sanders. Western then used a 3-0 run that consisted of an Iowa error and kills from Merriman and Greenhaw to pull ahead 13-10. Iowa came back with a 4-0 run of their own to lead 15-14, but Western would not back down.
 
With the set knotted at 17-17, two Hawkeye errors and another kill from Sanders and Merriman put Western ahead 21-18. Western then capitalized on two Iowa errors and hoped to put the set away with a 24-21 lead, but were unable to convert the set point as Iowa cut their deficit to one, 24-23. Abby Skryd then came up with the deciding kill following an assist from Hannah Walker as the Leathernecks went on to take set three 25-23.
 
In the fourth set, the Hawkeyes jumped out to an early 9-2 lead. Western was unable to gain any traction as they dropped the fourth set 25-12 and Iowa went on to win 3-1.
 
Greenhaw led the team with nine kills, followed by Merriman who compiled a career-high seven kills. Kaili Simmons led WIU with 12 digs, while Greenhaw had 11. Kolschefski led the team with three blocks and Skryd grabbed 16 assists.
 
MATCH TWO: Oakland 3, Western Illinois 2
 
The Leathernecks battled Oakland the entire first set as both sides exchanged points back and forth throughout the match. A Golden Grizzlies' error gave Western a 23-22 lead towards the end of the opening set, but Oakland went on a 3-0 run to close out set one with a narrow 25-23 victory.
 
Set two was just as close, but ended in the Leathernecks' favor. Western found itself down 9-6, but a 3-0 run comprised of kills from Greenhaw, Merriman and Claire Grove tied the set up. A 5-1 run from the Leathernecks put them up 14-12 and a trio of Oakland errors extended the lead to 17-14.
 
Western looked to close out set one with a 23-20 lead, but the Grizzlies clawed back with a 4-0 run to knot the set at 24-24 before taking a 25-24 lead. Greenhaw and back-to-back errors from Oakland gave Western the 27-25 win in set two.
 
It was all Western in set three as they cruised to a 25-10 set victory. Western used a 5-0 run to take an early 11-4 lead. Shortly after, the Leathernecks led 18-6 following a 6-0 run. An ace from Simmons and a kill from Merriman finished off the third set victory.
 
WIU fell behind 10-2 early in the pivotal fourth set. Oakland then made four consecutive errors to cut the Leatherneck deficit to four, 11-7. Later in the set, two more Golden Grizzlies errors and an ace from Grove kept Western within reach, 15-12. However, Oakland would pull away and take set four 25-17.
 
Both sides would not back down in set five. The teams exchanged points throughout most of the match. With the Leathernecks leading 13-11, Oakland came back to tie things up at 14-14. Errors then proved costly for Western as Oakland was able to capitalize and took set five 16-14 and the match 3-2.
 
Two Leathernecks earned their first career double-doubles in Grove (11 kills, 13 digs) and Walker (18 assists, 10 digs). Greenhaw led the team for the fifth consecutive match with 15 kills, while Kolschefski set a new career-high in total blocks with six. Skryd led the team with 24 assists while Simmons collected 14 digs.
 
The Purple and Gold are back in action tomorrow evening as they close out invitational play against Butler at 4 p.m.
   
Print Friendly Version