Who | South Dakota State | Purdue Fort Wayne | UIC
Where | Western Hall - Macomb, IL
When | Friday (Sept. 6), Saturday (Sept. 7) | 12:30 PM & 6:30 PM | 3:00 PM
Social Media | @WIUVolleyball (Twitter) + wiu_volleyball (Instagram) + WIU Volleyball (Facebook)
Macomb, IL - The Leatherneck volleyball team starts off their 2024 homestand with three games in two days as they will be the host of the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Classic. The team returns to Western Hall after going 1-1 at the Huskie Invitational last weekend.
WIU is leading the nation in digs per set (26.75) and ranks 15th in the nation in kills per set (14.75). Keyana Cruse(6.38) and Karli Wenzel(5.50) are both top 15 in the country in digs per set. The Leathernecks were led offensively by Senior Outside Hitter Keyana Cruse, who finished the Huskie Invitational with 52 kills along with 51 digs and 4 blocks. Cruse currently leads the NCAA in kills per set (6.50) and points per set (7.12). She was named the OVC Defensive Player of the Week on September 2nd, 2024.
Maggie Craker and Elizabeth Ziegler also had notable performances. Craker had 83 assists in two games and leads the OVC in assists per set (10.38). She finished the weekend with 6 kills and leads WIU in service aces with 4.
Ziegler finished with 29 kills and ranks 2nd on the team in that category, along with 4 blocks which is tied for 1st on the team. Against NIU, she had big plays down the stretch including 3 straight kills to give the Leathernecks the lead late in the fourth set. Ziegler ranks 5th in the OVC in kills per set (3.63).
About the Jackrabbits
South Dakota State and Western Illinois athletics are very familiar with one another. The two sides were in the Summit League together until WIU left for the Ohio Valley Conference in 2023. The Jackrabbits are 23-11 all-time against the Leathernecks and currently have a 6-game winning streak against WIU dating back to 2019. Last season, the Jackrabbits went 9-20 overall with a conference record of 7-9, which was 6th best in the Summit League. South Dakota State comes into the Leatherneck Classic with a 3-0 record after sweeping the Georgia State Invitational last Friday and Saturday.
About PFW
Purdue Fort Wayne is 4-0 all-time against the Leathernecks, with all four meetings coming in 2018 and 2019. The Mastodons are led by Sophomore Outside Hitter Panna Ratkai who ranks 13th in the nation in kills per set (5.00). Last season, the Mastodons were 10-20 overall with a conference record of 5-13. Purdue Fort Wayne comes into the Leatherneck Classic with a record of 3-0 after sweeping the Skyhawk Invitational in North Easton, Massachusetts.
About UIC
Illinois Chicago has an all-time record of 25-17 against WIU. The Leathernecks have won 2 of the last 3 matchups with the last matchup being on October 13, 2015 in which UIC defeated WIU 3-0. The Flames went 21-12 a season ago, going 11-7 in the Missouri Valley Conference. They are led by Senior Outside Hitter Zahria Woodard who has 44 kills in 14 sets played. She had 17 kills against FGCU and followed that performance with 16 kills against North Dakota State. UIC comes into the Leatherneck Classic with a record of 3-0 after sweeping the Florida Gulf Coast Hilton Garden Inn Fort Myers Classic.
A look ahead
Following the Hampton Inn Leatherneck Classic, WIU will head to the UND classic on September 13 and 14 in Grand Forks, North Dakota. The Leathernecks will take on Belmont and North Dakota on Friday, September 13 at 12 and 6 PM followed by Belmont again on Saturday, September 14 at 10 AM.
For all the latest information on Leatherneck Volleyball, please visit goleathernecks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Leathernecks on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.
