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Steckler
2
South Dakota State SDSU 2-16, 0-5
3
Winner Western Illinois WIU 6-12, 1-3
South Dakota State SDSU
2-16, 0-5
2
Final
3
Western Illinois WIU
6-12, 1-3
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 5 F
South Dakota State SDSU 25 17 20 25 15 (2)
Western Illinois WIU 15 25 25 19 17 (3)

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

Leathernecks Win Thriller In Western Hall Against South Dakota State

Mackenzie Steckler recorded 20 kills as head coach Kelly Richardson logged her first home Summit League victory.

MACOMB, Ill.- Behind 20 Mackenzie Steckler kills, the Western Illinois volleyball team won a thrilling match in Western Hall against the South Dakota State University Jackrabbits, 15-25, 25-17, 25-20, 19-25, 17-15. The victory captured the first Summit League win for the Leathernecks, who stopped a seven-game skid. It was also head coach Kelly Richardson's first conference win at home.

"I think that we did a good job of settling down and stopping the run of errors. We ran into some problems during where one error would turn into two, into three and into four," said Richardson. "So we talked about that in the fifth set that we need to let an error or a mistake go, in order to move on to the next play and refocus. They did a really good job of that in the fifth set, and I thought that was the difference maker." 
 
After dropping the first set, 15-25, the Leathernecks rebounded in set two to win 25-17. After being down 5-1, the Leathernecks tied up the set at eight after kills by Emma Norris, Shiah Sanders and Jaime Johnson. Western never looked back in the set, as it won four straight points and extended its lead to 23-16. Shaela Gray recorded two kills in the set and sealed set two for the Leathernecks.
 
The Leathernecks rode their momentum gained in the second set to capture the third set, 25-20. Western found itself down early 13-4, but the Leathernecks stormed back to tie up the score at 14. The Leathernecks won five straight points, thanks to two Claire Grove kills and one Gray kill. Sanders and two attack errors by South Dakota State pushed the Leatherneck lead to 24-19. Sanders finished the set for the Leathernecks, as she pulverized the ball past the Jackrabbit defense.
 
The Jackrabbits rebounded to take the fourth set to force the decisive fifth set. With emotion running high in Western Hall, the Fighting Leathernecks took the fifth set and captured its first victory against the Jackrabbits since 2014. The fifth set remained tight for its entirety, as the Leathernecks and Jackrabbits went back-and-forth.
 
A Steckler kill put the Western on top 1-0, and neither team lead by more than one point the entire set. Melanie Patenaude, Sanders, Riley Shucmacher, Norris and Steckler all recorded kills in the set. Down 15-14, Norris and Johnson recorded back-to-back kills to put the Leathernecks up by one. An attack error by South Dakota State sealed the match for Western.

"Knowing that we can win and finish is something that we talk about. We talk about setting milestones and obviously we needed our milestone to be our first league win, but on the flip side of that, it's our first home league win, and that is a huge milestone for us," said Richardson. "I think we just needed to come out here relaxed, and know that we could do it on our home floor. I'm very proud of our team and it was a good win tonight." 
 
Western looks to take the momentum on the road against Fort Wayne on Oct. 8. First serve is set for 1 p.m.
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