DENVER, Colo. - Putting a forgettable opening set behind them, Western Illinois volleyball (0-9, 0-8) displayed serious grit to give Denver (5-1, 5-1) an exciting battle in the second period. Hanging on to leads, the Pioneers again won in three frames on Monday night.
"Our play in the second set was definitely a step up," acknowledged WIU head coach Ben Staupe. "That is the type of fight we must continue to show, moving forward. We plan to keep focusing on various areas."
WIU smoothly flowed into its offense as the first set began. A solo block by Emma Norris and two consecutive kills from Peyton Bowman led to a 6-4 lead. However, after tying the game at 7, Denver found a way to take control on a 12-0 swing. Aubrey Putman answered out of a second timeout break with two kills to stop the run. A 19-2 finish by the Pioneers completed set one in a 25-9 win.
Four different Leathernecks completed successful attacks in the second set's opening possessions. Back-to-back Denver errors and a tip kill from Putman tied things at eight. Mariah Mitchell erupted for a personal hot streak - tallying four straight points - and Western took a 15-11 lead. Denver turned in five points in a row to even the score at 16. Bowman and Putman stepped up to give Western a slight edge once again, but the Pioneers strung up another 5-0 run to reach set point. A kill and assisted block from Kennedy Davis helped WIU creep closer, and Mitchell struck home to force extra points. Both teams traded blows a few more times before Denver narrowly escaped, 29-27.
The Leathernecks continued their fight into set three. Norris, Mitchell, and Putman all picked up two kills each before Jessie Connell delivered WIU's first service ace. Bowman then skied from the right side twice, cutting the deficit, 19-14. Davis and Putman made a few more plays down the line, but three more Denver points put an end to the night and series, 25-19.
Five WIU players collected five or more kills. Mitchell and Putman each had a team-high nine. Norris had six, while Bowman and Davis both added five. Cassie Hunt's 21 assists tied for the highest in the match. Putman also contributed a team-leading seven digs. Additionally, Mitchell's three blocks helped steady Leathernecks' defense.
Western is back on its home floor for week five of Summit League action. The team welcomes Omaha from Feb. 28-March 1. Day one of the series on Sunday will get going at 1 p.m.
