West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois Volleyball team is set to embark on their second road trip of the season, participating in the North Dakota Classic in Grand Forks. The Leathernecks are scheduled to play three matches: two on Friday and one on Saturday. They will face Belmont and North Dakota at 12 p.m. and 6 p.m., respectively, on Friday, September 13. On Saturday, they will compete against Belmont again at 10 a.m.

Three standout players from the Leathernecks currently lead the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) in various statistical categories. Karli Wenzel ranks first in digs per set with an average of 5.29 and third in total digs with 111. She has recorded 20 or more digs in four out of five games this season, including a season-high of 31 against South Dakota State.

Maggie Craker leads the OVC in assists per set with an average of 10.57 and is second in total assists with 222. She has achieved over 40 assists in four out of five games this season and is nearing a milestone of being seventh all-time in assists for Leatherneck Volleyball.

Keyana Cruse tops the OVC charts for total points with 123.5 and kills with 111. She has managed to score over 20 kills in four out of five games this season and has earned consecutive OVC player of the week honors.

Belmont enters the North Dakota Classic holding a record of 4-2 after starting their season with four straight wins, including a victory over Butler at the Belmont/Lipscomb tournament. Last year, Belmont concluded their season with a record of 14-20, half of which were conference victories. They return with eleven players from last year's squad.

The Bruins' offensive efforts are spearheaded by Junior Outside Hitter Brooke Gilleland, who has accumulated 87 kills across 23 sets played this season.

Western Illinois will also face former Summit League rival North Dakota during this event. The Fighting Hawks have won six out of their last ten encounters against WIU, including a sweep on October 22, 2022. Currently holding a record of 3-3 for the year, UND's victories include Tulane, SIUE, and West Virginia.

North Dakota's offensive leader is Junior Outside Hitter Paige Barber, who averages 2.62 kills per set with a total contribution of 72 points through her participation in 26 sets this season.

Looking ahead, Western Illinois will travel to Charleston, South Carolina for the Charleston Southern tournament on September 20-21. They will play two matches on Friday against Charleston Southern and Norfolk State before facing Sacred Heart on Saturday morning.