MACOMB, IL - The Western Illinois Volleyball team had two matches against the Cougars of SIUE on October 30th and 31st, with the latter of which being senior day.
FRIDAY
The first set of match one started with the Leathernecks going down 3-1, before a 7-1 run gave Western Illinois a 8-4 lead. SIUE responded with a 6-2 run of their own, to nod up the set at 10. After some back and forth, SIUE went up 15-12 going into the media timeout. After a Cougar point, the Leathernecks went on a 11-3 run, which brought the score to 23-19. SIUE tried to come back, but was unable to, and Western Illinois took the set 25-22.
Set two of match one started back and forth, with the teams trading 3 point runs and keeping the score very close, before Western Illinois took the lead 15-12 into the media timeout. Both teams kept trading runs, with a four point Western Illinois run followed directly by a three point SIUE run, but any run that SIUE tried to make was followed immediately by Western Illinois responding well, and ended with a 25-21 set win for the Leathernecks.
The third and final set of match one saw Western Illinois jump out to an 8-5 lead, before a 9-2 Cougar run gave SIUE a 14-10 lead. The Leathernecks were able to make the score 12-15 headed into the media timeout, before a 7 point killshot run by the Leathernecks gave the team a 19-15 lead, and the team never looked back. SIUE tried to make a comeback, with three straight points at the end of the match, but was unable to pull off a victory, and Western Illinois took the set 25-21, and the match 3 sets to 0.
The Leathernecks were led in kills by the duo of Ashlee Markert and Maria Eduarda Pereira Tonella with 10 a piece on the match. The tandem of Kennedy Adair and Grace Ulatowski both had 11 digs in the match, which led the team as well. Jaleah Bauss led Western Illinois with 21 assists in the match, which was followed by Madelyn Norton with 14.Â
SATURDAY
The first set of match two of the weekend started out with Western Illinois jumping out to a 5-2 lead, as well as 6-3, before SIUE went on a short run to tie the game up. The teams then traded points back and forth until the media timeout, where the score stood 15-13 in favor of the Cougars. The Cougars then went on a 5-2 run out of the media timeout, which pushed the lead to 20-15. Down the stretch of the first set, Western Illinois attempted to make a comeback, but their try was thwarted, and SIUE took the set 25-21.
Set two of match two began with the teams going back and forth on points, with the set being tied up at 6. SIUE then went on a small 3-0 run, and another 4-0 run shortly after, to put the set score at 13-8. Not long after, the teams went into the media timeout with SIUE holding a 15-10 lead. The Cougars then extended that lead to 19-10 before the next Leatherneck point, Western Illinois was able to get four points in the rest of the set, but was unable to complete a comeback, losing the set 25-14.
The third and final set of this match started out with a 9-0 SIUE run, which was rough for the Leathernecks out the gate, the team was able to play well through the media timeout, only being down 15-8, and tying the Cougars 10-10 for the rest of the set, but unfortunately the early match run was too much for Western Illinois to overcome, and they lost the set 25-18, and the match three sets to zero.
Kennedy Adair led Western Illinois in kills on the match, with 9, followed by Melaina Hawblitzel with 6. Madelyn Norton had 17 assists in the match, which was far and away the lead for the Leathernecks, edging out Alysia Perez's 6 assists. Grace Ulatowski led the way with 11 digs, and Madelyn Norton and Grace Ulatowski both had aces for the Leathernecks in the match.
NEXT TIME
Western Illinois Volleyball will be back in action on November 5th and November 6th, with matches at Eastern Illinois.
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