Dale Starr Head Coach | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Website
Dale Starr Head Coach | Western Illinois University Leathernecks Website
Western Illinois University faced a challenging match against Southern Indiana on Friday night, resulting in a loss for the Leathernecks. The closely contested game ended with the Screaming Eagles winning in four sets at Western Hall.
In the first set, Brittany Wulf scored early for WIU after Southern Indiana's 4-0 opening run. Despite efforts from Keyana Cruse and service aces by Wulf, WIU fell short as USI secured the set 28-26.
The second set was evenly matched until USI gained a lead following a 4-0 run. Although WIU reduced the gap to one point after a timeout, they ultimately lost the set 25-22.
Set three mirrored the previous one with tight scores throughout. Wulf's performance helped WIU gain an advantage, leading to their only set win at 25-21.
The fourth set saw USI pulling ahead midway through and maintaining their lead despite efforts from Schmidt and Cruse. The Leathernecks were defeated in this final set with a score of 25-21.
Keyana Cruse led WIU with 19 kills and achieved a double-double with 15 digs. Brittany Wulf and Julianna Schmidt also contributed significantly with 16 and 10 kills respectively. Karli Wenzel excelled defensively with 24 digs, moving up in WIU's career digs rankings. Maggie Cracker provided support with 38 assists, while WIU out-blocked USI overall.
The teams will meet again on Saturday afternoon at Western Hall.