MACOMB, IL- Western Illinois Volleyball wrapped up Tuesday night's road match with a strong showing through three competitive sets before falling 1-3 to Eastern Illinois inside Gardella Family Court.

Graduate student outside hitter Keyana Cruse led the Leathernecks with 17 kills and 19 digs for her fifth double-double of the season, while senior right side Elizabeth Ziegler added 11 kills and senior middle blocker Grace Kremer hit an efficient .500 with five kills on 10 swings. Junior setter Madelyn Norton and redshirt freshman setter Alysia Perez combined for 36 assists, and libero Karlie Lane anchored the back row with a team-high 22 digs.

Set 1
Western Illinois came out strong in the opening frame, trading points early with the Panthers in a back-and-forth start that featured eight ties. Cruse sparked the Leathernecks' offense with several early kills, while junior middle blocker Hillary Estes added back-to-back service aces late in the set to keep WIU close. Despite a late push, Eastern Illinois closed out the frame 25–22.

Set 2
The second set saw another tight battle, with the Leathernecks answering EIU's early lead behind steady play from Cruse and freshman setter Alysia Perez. WIU rallied late with kills from Kremer and Ziegler to even the score at 24–24, but EIU strung together the final two points to edge out a 26–24 win.

Set 3
WIU responded with its best performance of the night, hitting .244 as a team and controlling play throughout. Cruse and Ziegler continued to lead the offense, while Norton and Perez ran an efficient attack. A late surge helped the Leathernecks secure a 25–23 win and extend the match to a fourth set.

Set 4
Momentum carried early for WIU behind junior setter Grace Ulatowski's two aces and a kill to open the set, but the Panthers quickly responded. EIU used a 7–0 mid-set run to pull away, closing out the match 25–14 to seal the 3–1 victory.

The Leathernecks will go on to host the Tennessee State Tigers on October 24th at 6 pm and on the 25th at 4 pm. 

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