Who | Western Illinois (4-24, 3-14) vs. St. Thomas (3-24, 2-15)

When | Saturday, Nov. 20 - 1 p.m. CT

Where | Macomb, Ill. (Western Hall)

Social Media | Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH

Quick Hits

• Western Illinois volleyball is in its final week of the 2021 fall regular season, hosting St. Thomas on Saturday (Nov. 20) at home.

• 'Senior Day' headlines the Leathernecks' regular-season finale, as Peyton Bowman and Erika Moore will be honored before the first serve.

• St. Thomas ranks eighth in The Summit League standings.

• The 2018 season saw the last time that Western won an end-of-regular-season match.

Most Recently … | Starting its last road stretch, Western Illinois (4-23, 3-13) fell to Oral Roberts (16-8, 10-5) in three sets (14-25, 26-28, 17-25) on Thursday evening (Nov. 11). The Golden Eagles held an advantage in kills per set that more than doubled Western's.

Emma Norris finished as the team leader in kills (six), while Kalynn Davis, Aubrey Putman, and Brittany Wulf chipped in five of her own. Norris and Peyton Bowman also assisted on four blocks. Maggie Craker collected a double-double of 25 assists and 16 digs -- both team-highs. Karli Wenzel totaled 15 digs.

Last Saturday afternoon (Nov. 13), the Leathernecks met up with Kansas City in their final road visit. WIU impressively took the first period but was ultimately defeated in four (25-22, 16-25, 16-25, 20-25). Bowman finished as WIU's top player in kills (13), hitting percentage (.318), and blocks (5). Wulf added 12 kills, and Kennedy Davis ended with six kills and three blocks. Craker and Wenzel totaled 33 assists and 16 digs, respectively. Putman was the only other player to reach double-digit numbers in digs (10). WIU held an advantage in service aces over Kansas City (4-2), each coming from a different Leatherneck.

Thank You, E and P! | A senior pair of Erika Moore and Peyton Bowman will play their final matches at Western Hall this weekend.

A four-year member, Moore has been a key contributor as a defensive specialist, being second on the team in digs this season (263). This past spring campaign, her 13 service aces were second-best within the roster. The Bloomington, Illinois native has appeared in all 28 matches this fall. On Sept. 10, 2021, Moore posted back-to-back showings of 21 and 23 digs versus Western Carolina and Eastern Kentucky, respectively, at the EKU Invitational.

Bowman has spent the past two seasons at WIU, coming on as an immediate standout. The 6'1" middle hitter was named a 2021 Summit League Preseason Player of the Year earlier this fall after impressing during the spring. Starting 15 of 17 matches, she led the Leathernecks in hitting percentage (.302), which was good for fourth-best in the Summit League while also ranking first on Western in both solo blocks (12) and assisted blocks (40). This year, Bowman again leads WIU in total blocks (102.0) and is second in kills (196).

A Brief History | The first all-time meeting between Western and St. Thomas on Oct. 5 ended in a 3-0 sweep for the Leathernecks on the road. Maggie Craker posted a double-double of 40 assists and 11 digs, along with two service aces. Aubrey Putman finished with a team-leading 11 kills, while Peyton Bowman and Kennedy Davis added nine apiece. Bowman also assisted on four blocks. Karli Wenzel ended with 21 digs. WIU held an advantage in kills (46-36), points (58-45), hitting percentage (.263-.202), digs (63-50), and assists (44-34).

Scouting the Opposition | First-year outside hitter Lauren Galvin has been one of St. Thomas' top performers, as the young standout sits seventh and fifth among Summit individuals in kills (3.33/set) and service aces (0.35/set). Other team leaders include Grace Anetipa (448 assists), Carrie Rutledge (284 digs), and Ellie Dammann (72.0 blocks).