Skip To Main Content

Upcoming Events and Recent Results

Western Illinois University Athletics

WIU Volleyball
WIU Visual Productions Center
1
Little Rock LR 4-12,1-4 OVC
3
Winner Western Ill. WIU 4-11,3-2 OVC
Little Rock LR
4-12,1-4 OVC
1
Final
3
Western Ill. WIU
4-11,3-2 OVC
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Little Rock LR 24 17 27 20 (1)
Western Ill. WIU 26 25 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Women's Volleyball | | WIU Athletic Communications

Starr, Leathernecks Earn First Home Victory

MACOMB, IL – Western Illinois volleyball defeated the Little Rock Trojans in four sets inside a loud Western Hall on Friday (10/6) night. The Leathernecks move to 3-2 in OVC play and 4-10 overall.

Set 1
Western Illinois offense started with a bang as Kaitlyn Wickersheim opened the match with a service ace. Little Rock responded with a 4-0 run, pulling in front 4-1. The Trojans saw their lead get as big as four before Julianna Schmidt would have a kill, sparking a 6-2 run, tying the set at eight. Kennedy Adair and Elizabeth Ziegler had kills that pulled the set even at nine and ten. Schmidt gave WIU their first lead since 1-0 with a kill, and Maggie Craker's kill put WIU on a 4-0 run, pulling in front (15-11). WIU would hold on to their four-point lead until Little Rock charged back, tying the set at 20-20. With the score tied, Brittany Wulf checked into the game and instantly found herself in the scorebook with a kill. Wickersheim would have another service ace, forcing the Trojans to call a timeout at 22-20. Out of the break, Little Rock would chip away, tying the match at 23. Both teams would trade the next point as WIU used a service error and a Keyana Cruse kill to finish set one 26-24.

Set 2
The second set saw Little Rock in front early with a 3-1 lead. After a Trojan service error, Grace Kremer and Cruse gave WIU their first lead of the set 4-3. WIU and Little Rock would battle for the next couple of points as neither team could gain separation. Ahead 7-5, WIU saw Cruse and Craker with back-to-back kills, giving WIU their largest lead at the time, 9-5. The Leathernecks would increase their lead to six multiple times throughout the middle part of set two. Kremer would have an ace, putting WIU ahead 13-7. Six points later, Cruse had herself an ace, putting WIU back in front 16-10. Ziegler would put WIU ahead by seven (20-13), and Schmidt finished the set with a kill as WIU took set two 25-17

Set 3
WIU fell behind early in set three. Down 7-2, the Leathernecks started to climb out of the hole. Keyana Cruse would get a kill, and then a bad set by Little Rock put WIU down 7-4. Little Rock increased their lead to 8-4 before a 5-0 run that saw kills by Cruse and Wulf saw WIU in front 9-8. Midway through the third set, Little Rock had an answer with five straight points, pulling in front 19-14. WIU clawed back with multiple kills by Cruse and Annika Black. Down 22-21, Wulf would have a kill to tie the set, and back-to-back service aces by Wickersheim had WIU in front 23-22 as Little Rock used their second timeout. Out of the break, a 5-2 run by the Trojans saw them fight off two match points to take the third set 27-25.

Set 4
The Leathernecks started on the front foot in the fourth set. Craker and Schmidt both had kills as WIU opened an early 3-2 lead. The Leathernecks would watch their lead slip away as the Trojans jumped back in front 6-3 with a 4-0 run. Cruse ended the run with back-to-back kills, pulling WIU within one (6-5). Western Illinois pulled the set even at eight with back-to-back kills by Wulf. Little Rock responded, pulling out in front 14-9. Wulf was once the catalyst for a Leatherneck run as her kill started a 5-0 run, tying the set at 14. Teams would trade the next points before WIU pulled in front 18-16 on the swings of Cruse and Black. WIU would hold off the Trojans as Wulf had four kills in five points to put WIU up 24-20. Wickersheim ended the match the way she started it with an ace from the service line as WIU took set four 25-20.

Keyana Cruse and Brittany Wulf led the team with 16 kills each. Cruse had a double-double, adding 14 digs. Grace Ulatowski led the dig category for the Leathernecks with 18. Maggie Craker dished out 38 assists, tying her for 10th in career assists. WIU had 12 total team blocks, with Grace Kremer, Annika Black, and Julianna Schmidt registering solo blocks. Kaitlyn Wickersheim led the Leathernecks in service aces with five, as Western Illinois had six total.

WIU and Little Rock wrap their weekend series on Saturday (Oct. 7) at 2:00 p.m. inside Western Hall.
Print Friendly Version