West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's volleyball team faced a setback in their recent match against Tennessee Tech, losing in straight sets with scores of 25-17, 25-21, and 25-19. The Leathernecks struggled offensively, recording only 22 kills as a team. Keyana Cruse led the team with five kills.

Defensively, WIU showed strength with eight blocks and 55 digs. Julianna Schmidt contributed five blocks while Grace Nichols added three. Karli Wenzel achieved a match-high of 16 digs. This result leaves the Leathernecks with a conference record of 2-2.

In the first set, Tennessee Tech capitalized on two significant runs of 7-1 and 10-3 to secure a win at 25-17. During the second set, Schmidt and Cruse's block assists helped tie the score at seven early on. However, Tennessee Tech finished strong with a closing run of 9-5 to take the set at 25-21.

The third set saw WIU rally with runs of 5-1 and 5-2 to level the score at eleven. Grace Ulatowski's kill followed by a block from Nichols and Cruse, which then led to another kill by Cruse, highlighted this effort. Despite these efforts, Tennessee Tech ultimately won the set at 25-19.

WIU will face Tennessee Tech again tomorrow afternoon as they conclude their road trip. The match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.

For more information on Leatherneck Volleyball, visit GoLeathernecks.com or follow them on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.