West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's volleyball team secured a decisive victory against Southern Illinois University Edwardsville (SIUE) on Saturday. The Leathernecks won in straight sets, marking their second consecutive win in conference play, a feat last achieved in 2007.

Keyana Cruse led the offensive charge with 17 kills, while Maggie Craker contributed with 45 assists. The team recorded an impressive hitting percentage of .423. On defense, Karli Wenzel achieved 20 digs, and the team totaled five blocks.

The first set saw seven ties early on. A pivotal moment came when Keyana Cruse delivered a kill and service ace, pushing WIU ahead to 15-13. Elizabeth Ziegler added another kill for a lead of 16-13. Later kills by Julianna Schmidt and Cruse secured the set at 25-18.

In the second set, WIU maintained control throughout, establishing an early lead of 15-4 through multiple kills from Grace Nichols, Brittany Wulf, Elizabeth Ziegler, and Keyana Cruse. They ended the set comfortably at 25-12.

SIUE initially led in the third set at 6-2 but WIU responded effectively. Maggie Craker's kill followed by two from Keyana Cruse gave them a lead of 9-8. The teams exchanged points until SIUE held a slight advantage at 15-14. However, WIU rallied to secure a run that resulted in a final score of 25-19 for the sweep.

The Leathernecks will rest for two days before facing Lindenwood on Tuesday evening at Western Hall at 6 PM.

For further updates on Leatherneck Volleyball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.