Lael McKee Student Manager | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Website
Lael McKee Student Manager | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Website
The Leatherneck volleyball team faced challenges on the first day of the North Dakota Classic, losing both matches to Belmont and North Dakota.
In their opening match against Belmont, Keyana Cruse led Western Illinois University (WIU) with 17 kills. Defensively, Karli Wenzel contributed 20 digs. The Leathernecks initially took control in the first set, leading by as many as 10 points before securing a win with a 4-1 run that included a kill by Julianna Schmidt.
Despite strong starts in subsequent sets, WIU could not maintain their lead. In the second set, they started with an 11-4 advantage but ultimately lost 25-21 after Belmont's comeback. The third set saw similar efforts from WIU with two significant runs; however, Belmont prevailed again with a score of 25-21. The fourth set was closely contested until Belmont clinched it at 25-23.
Against North Dakota, WIU struggled to find momentum and lost all three sets by scores of 25-19, 25-20, and 25-15. Kennedy Adair led offensively for the Leathernecks in this match with six kills.
Maggie Craker achieved a personal milestone during these matches, ranking fifth all-time in total assists for Leatherneck Volleyball history with a career total of 2,330 assists. She recorded 32 assists against Belmont and added another 19 against North Dakota.
WIU will have another opportunity to compete against Belmont tomorrow morning at 10 AM for the final game of the North Dakota Classic.
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