RICHMOND, Ky. - Two five-set matches. Career-highs set twice on the same day. First win of the fall. One could say Western Illinois volleyball had quite the day in Richmond, Kentucky, during day one of Eastern Kentucky's Colonel Challenge.
 

Match One

WCU 3, WIU 2

A tightly-played first set involved eight tied scores and four lead changes. Both teams played potent offense, as Peyton Bowman and Kennedy Davis led the way for Western (4 kills each). Down the stretch, traded points kept the intensity at a high level. Ultimately, WCU escaped the opening period with a 25-23 decision on a final block.

Set two was full of more fast-paced action. Aubrey Putman delivered a kill to tie things up at 11-11. Soon after, Bowman made it 18-15, and Kennedy Davis took over to put things to rest for Western's first win of the day, 25-18.

The Western hitters took turns slamming down kills once the third set arrived, bumping up its lead to 12-9. After a personal hot streak by Kennedy Davis occurred, WCU started clawing back into the deficit, finding a way to even the score at 19-19. A final 6-1 push went the course of the Catamounts for a 25-19 victory.

Competitive play continued in the fourth set, with Emma Norris giving WIU a 10-7 lead after making a solo block and totaling two consecutive kills. The score soon sat tied at 13 before Norris helped put the Leathernecks in front, 17-13. After calling a timeout, WCU scored twice quickly, but WIU stayed collected to steady its advantage. Two kills by Brittany Wulf gave the team a 25-21 win in set four.

Seeing the Catamounts jump out 4-0 in the fifth, WIU was soon able to get on the board due to three WCU errors. Bowman and Kennedy Davis continued to try and make something happen, but WCU stayed in control long enough for a 15-9 final set feat to win in five.

For the second contest in a row, several Leathernecks again set new career-highs in a single-match showing:
 

- Peyton Bowman in kills (17).

- Kennedy Davis in kills (20).

- Jessie Connell in assists (51), which was also a match-high.

- Erika Moore in digs (21).

- Ashley Poland in digs (10).
 

Bowman and Kennedy Davis were incredibly efficient from the floor with hitting percentages of .560 and .633, respectively. Norris' 12 kills were a season-high. Connell added 16 digs for a second straight double-double, including three service aces.

WIU tied with WCU in assists (61) and out-dug the Catamounts 63-62.
 

Match Two

WIU 3, EKU 2

Kennedy Davis continued her stellar play right into the evening contest versus the tournament host, as she placed three kills to give WIU a 9-5 lead. Following the sophomore's competitive mentality, Western's other starters combined to work up a small lead that led to EKU calling for a timeout, down 19-16. Boosting off a pair of errors from the Colonels, WIU saw Kennedy and her sister, Kalynn Davis, complete a kill apiece to finish out set one, 25-20.

Set two opened up successfully for WIU in a 9-3 start. Putman nailed back-to-back kills amid a 5-1 run that rang up the Leathernecks' lead to 14-6. EKU answered with a 5-1 spurt of its own and began chomping at the deficit. Bowman helped keep Western in front by a few points, and the Colonels would again suffer from a pair of errors, down 19-15. Behind a final stretch of possessions that included additional kills from Kennedy Davis and a Karli Wenzel service ace, WIU took another 25-20 win in the second frame.

EKU got off on a stronger foot in the third period, working up a 7-1 run that led to a 12-7 advantage and a Western timeout. Completing six out of its next eight tries, the Leathernecks found themselves trailing only 14-13. However, EKU produced another short run before the two teams went into 'seesaw play.' Two kills and an assisted block rounded out set three in the Colonels' favor, 25-21.

The score became tied up several times during the fourth set's early portion. Kalynn Davis netted two kills to put WIU ahead, 12-9, and a few more lead changes immediately followed. Norris scored on a kill out of a media timeout, and Western again went up, 16-15. More tied scores kept flowing in, as another timeout happened on the floor with the board displaying 20-20. Kennedy Davis arrived in the clutch to help give WIU a chance during 'extra points' play, but EKU escaped with a 27-25 win to force a fifth set.

After Moore tied the score with a service ace, 5-5, Kennedy Davis sparked a 4-1 run with two consecutive kills, causing EKU to signal for a timeout. Refusing to let up, WIU dominated a final 6-1 run to win 15-7 in its first match victory of the 2021 fall season.

Connell (52 assists), Moore (23 digs), and Poland (11 digs) all surpassed their career-highs from match one. Kennedy Davis totaled 20 kills for the second straight time, and Norris' 11 digs were a season-high. Bowman added 11 kills and nine blocks. Putman tallied 10 kills, seven digs, and five blocks. Connell's 10 digs gave her a third double-double in as many matches.

WIU had the upper hand in points (80.0), kills (61), and blocks (16) over EKU while also tying in service aces (3).

Day two of the Colonel Challenge begins for Western tomorrow at 10 a.m. CT. The Leathernecks will take on New Mexico State for one final test of the tournament.