MACOMB, Ill. - Being back on its home floor for the second time this season, Western Illinois volleyball (0-5, 0-4) put up an exceptional fight versus Oral Roberts (2-4, 2-2) on Monday afternoon. The five-set match ultimately went to the latter in a 3-2 victory.
Cassie Hunt and Aubrey Putman both finished with remarkable double-double performances that saw them notch career-highs in two categories. Hunt had 47 assists and six kills while Putman put up 14 kills and 24 digs.
Putman slammed home a kill to make it 9-6 in the first set. WIU then went on a 7-2 run and, after ORU scored twice, Putman responded again to have her Leathernecks up 18-10. A few different WIU players stepped in to progress the scoring. Following three errors from the Golden Eagles, Mariah Mitchell finished the opening period off a kill, 25-18.
ORU got off to an 8-3 lead once the second set unfolded. Three collective kills by Peyton Bowman and Hunt reduced the deficit to 9-7 before the visitors embarked on a 7-3 run. Sparked by Mitchell and Emma Norris, WIU answered with a 7-3 spurt of their own. ORU succeeded on all four of their last possessions to even the match score at 1-1.
After both teams started close in set three, Helaina Hillyard's kill gave WIU serious momentum. Bowman, Mitchell, and Putman especially stood out as a trio in helping their squad pile up a significant lead, which resulted in a 25-14 decision.
The final two sets were a story of 'seesaw play' - a combined 17 tied scores and seven lead changes. ORU took the fourth, 25-22. Mitchell scored three straight to open the final set, and neither team would get ahead by more than one point until the score sat even at 11. Three more points came from Bowman and Mitchell, but ORU finished out the evening, 15-13. WIU had 12 kills in the final set, compared to the Golden Eagles' eight.
Gabby DePersio and Erika Moore tied their personal career-highs in digs, with 23 and 19, respectively. Norris produced a line of 19 digs, seven kills, and two of the team's four service aces. Mitchell had 17 kills, a season-high, and Bowman chipped in 15 on an eye-popping .682 hitting percentage. For the second straight day, WIU out-dug ORU - 109-105. The Leathernecks also finished with more team assists, kills, and blocks while tying in points (69.0)
WIU will be on the road for its next two Summit League series, starting with a visit to the Kansas City Roos on Feb. 14-15.
