MACOMB, IL — Western Illinois volleyball put together a dominant performance on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Tennessee State 3–0 inside Western Hall. The Leathernecks hit .330 as a team and notched 10 total blocks, cruising to their fourth conference victory of the season. Western Illinois volleyball put together a dominant performance on Saturday afternoon, sweeping Tennessee State 3–0 inside Western Hall. The Leathernecks hit .330 as a team and notched 10 total blocks, cruising to their fourth conference victory of the season.

Set 1

WIU raced out to an early 7–2 lead behind kills from junior outside hitter Kennedy Adair and graduate outside hitter Keyana Cruse, plus a pair of service aces from sophomore libero Karlie Lane. The Leathernecks kept the pressure on, forcing two TSU timeouts before closing the set on a kill by middle block junior Hillary Estes. Senior middle block Grace Kremer and Cruse each tallied multiple kills, while WIU limited the Tigers to a -.094 hitting percentage. The Leathernecks ultimately took the win, scoring 25-16 against the Tigers.

Set 2 

The Leathernecks stayed hot in the second frame, turning a 6–6 tie into a 13–9 advantage on back-to-back kills by senior right side Elizabeth Ziegler. WIU's offense continued to click, hitting .324 in the set with four players recording at least two kills. Estes led the way again with six kills, while Lane added another ace and 12 digs to anchor the back row. Western Illinois closed it out after a Tennessee State attack error to take a 2–0 match lead, 25-18. 

Set 3 

WIU completed the sweep with one of its most efficient offensive efforts of the season, hitting .361 as a team. Adair, Ziegler, and Cruse each delivered key kills in the middle stretch, while Estes sealed the match with her team-leading 14th kill. The Leathernecks' block continued to dominate, posting 10 total rejections in the match, led by Estes and Ziegler, with the game ending 25-18. 

Western Illinois improves to 6–16 (3–6 OVC), while Tennessee State falls to 1–23 (0–11 OVC). The Leathernecks return to action next week on the road against Lindenwood, October 31-November 1. 

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