2021 Hampton Inn Invitational

Friday, Sept. 3 - Western Illinois vs. Toledo (3:30 p.m.)

Saturday, Sept. 4 - Western Illinois vs. Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) (11 a.m.)

Saturday, Sept. 4 - Western Illinois vs. Chattanooga (3 p.m.) 
 

*Hosted by: IUPUI

Where: Indianapolis, Indiana ('The Jungle' Gymnasium)

Social Media: Twitter + Instagram + Facebook + #TRADITIONofTOUGH
 

Quick Facts

• Western Illinois volleyball packs its bags again later this week for the second of four consecutive season tournaments -- heading to Indianapolis for IUPUI's hosted Hampton Inn Invitational. Three contests will make up the Leathernecks' weekend stay

• WIU opened its season this past week at Northern Illinois' hosted Huskie Invitational (Aug. 27-28)

• Kennedy Davis earned all-tournament honors at the invitational. The sophomore pieced together three matches of impressive play that included a career-high 13 kills and three service aces in the season opener against NIU.

Most Recently … | The Leathernecks dropped three matches in the Huskie Invitational. On Friday morning, Western lost in four sets to the tournament host (22-25, 25-23, 20-25, 14-25). Along with Davis's aforementioned new career-high in kills and service aces, Bowman added nine kills of her own, and Putman had seven. Jessie Connell dished out 23 assists. She, Putman, and Erika Moore additionally put up eight digs apiece. Bowman and Hailey Pollock anchored four and three assisted blocks, respectively. WIU had a 12-10 advantage in blocks and tied with NIU in service aces (7).

Later that Friday evening, WIU was defeated in three sets by Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) member William & Mary (30-32, 22-25, 19-25). Putman finished with 11 kills, tying for a match-high, and seven digs. Bowman added eight kills and assisted on three blocks. Connell and Craker piled in 17 and 15 assists, respectively, while Moore led all players with 12 digs.

On the closing day, WIU fell in three sets to California State-Bakersfield (CSUB). The Leathernecks especially stood out during the second period when they erupted on an 8-0 run. Emma Norris contributed heavily during the span, netting four kills in eight Leatherneck possessions. CSUB ended the hot streak with a kill, momentarily, but Western continued to stay close, and a Bowman kill tied the score at 20. Ultimately, a 5-1 finish allowed CSUB to take set two, 25-21, and set three, 25-20.

Preseason Picks | Last Wednesday (Aug. 25), Peyton Bowman and Aubrey Putman were both selected as 'Players to Watch.' It was a first-time honor for each of the two.

A newcomer to the roster last year, it wasn't long before Bowman quickly began making heavy contributions. The 6'1" middle hitter started 15 of 17 matches, leading the team to hit percentage (.302). The mark was good for fourth-best in the league. She ranked first on Western in both solo blocks (12) and assisted blocks (40).

Putman embraced a starter role during her sophomore campaign in 2020-21. The 5'11" outside hitter finished second in kills (134) and points scored (150.0) for WIU. Putman also stood out defensively, ending third in team digs (147).

The Leathernecks were picked tenth in this year's preseason poll.

A Brief History | Since Sept. 1988, Toledo leads 3-1 in the slight all-time series, winning three straight matches. The last outing happened on Sept. 13, 2019.

Chattanooga has only matched up with the Leathernecks one time -- an Aug. 30, 2019 contest at a neutral site. The Mocs won that meeting in three sets.

The host, IUPUI, has faced WIU more than any other tournament opponent. The series currently sits at a 28-11 advantage for the Jaguars, who are on an 18-match winning streak.

Scouting the Opposition | Coming off the Virginia Tech Invitational to open its season, Toledo holds a 2-1 overall record. Taylor Alt performed exceptionally well last weekend -- tallying 41 kills while hitting .310 en route to all-tournament honors and a Mid-American Conference (MAC) West Division Offensive Player of the Week nod. Olivia Vance and Rhyenne Filisi added 22 kills apiece during the three matches. Setter Elaine Redman racked up 71 assists, and Rhyen Neal leads the team in digs with 29.

Playing in the Georgia State Invitational on Aug. 27-28, Chattanooga finished 1-2. Senior Gylian Finch is first on the team in kills with 36, as five of the team's remaining ten players each have also reached double-figures in that category. Coniah Davis and Marcelle Baez-Carlo steady the defense with 11 and 10 blocks, respectively. Sophia Bossong has dished out 93 assists, averaging 9.3 a set. First-year libero Paige Gallentine ranks first on the squad in digs (44).

Similar to Chattanooga, IUPUI stands at a 1-2 overall clip at the moment. First-year Briana Brown leads with 37 kills, and junior Allie Pogue narrowly trails behind at 36. Darragh Dixon has handed out 106 assists, while Rhiannon Schuenemann is ahead in digs by a comfortable margin (54).

What's Next? | Western will continue to play in its string of tournaments next week on Sept. 10-11, partaking in Eastern Kentucky's 'Colonel Challenge.'