OMAHA, Neb. - Arriving in Nebraska for a second Summit League matchup of the fall, Western Illinois volleyball (1-12, 0-2) took on Omaha (5-7, 2-0) during Saturday afternoon (Sept. 25). WIU would ultimately be downed in a sweep (25-27, 12-25, 12-25).

Starting at libero, first-year Karli Wenzel posted a career day. She ended with 23 digs -- the highest total mark among all league individuals in a three-set performance.

The first set involved electrifying back-and-forth action, resulting in a total of 17 tied scores. Steady attacks by Emma Norris gave WIU's offense some firepower in the first set before Aubrey Putman took over on a personal spree to tie the score at 18-18. The junior and her Leathernecks continued to trade opportunities with the Mavericks, which went into extra points. Omaha tacked two kills after committing an attacking error to end the first on a 27-25 win. Wenzel rounded up 16 digs in the period alone.

Down 5-0 in set two, WIU cut it to 5-7, led by a core of underclassmen. Kennedy Davis provided a couple of kills for Western, but Omaha scored seven of its next nine tries, bumping the lead to 14-7. The Leathernecks soon signaled for a timeout, and their hitters gave efforts to pile in a small handful of points afterward. Nevertheless, Omaha went on to win 25-12.

The Davis twins, Kennedy and Kalynn, were a dynamic duo early in the third set, combining to help WIU take a slight 6-5 lead. Stellar hitting by Brittany Wulf then sparked a couple of tied scores before the Mavericks rang off four straight to take a 13-9 advantage. After Kennedy nailed another kill, a final 8-0 run capped a 25-12 victory that sealed a 3-0 decision on the day.

Kennedy Davis totaled a team-high seven kills and two blocks. Norris, Putman, and Peyton Bowman all added five kills each. Maggie Craker had 21 assists and seven digs.

A home opener is next for WIU, as the team hosts North Dakota State on Thursday (Sept. 30).