West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University is set to face off against UT Martin in a volleyball match scheduled for Friday and Saturday, October 6-7, in Martin, Tennessee. The Leathernecks aim to continue their strong performance in the Ohio Valley Conference (OVC), where they currently hold a 4-2 record, placing them third in the league standings. Their opponent, UT Martin, holds a 2-5 record and sits in ninth place.

The Leathernecks recently concluded a three-match homestand with mixed results. They suffered an early defeat to Chicago State but bounced back with consecutive victories over Little Rock. Brittany Wulf played a pivotal role in these wins, recording over 16 kills in each match against Little Rock. Her efforts earned her the title of OVC Co-Offensive Player of the Week.

Maggie Craker made significant strides last weekend by moving into the top ten for all-time career assists at Western Illinois. With 97 assists across the matches, she averages more than eight assists per set and is on track to advance further up the rankings.

Karli Wenzel is also nearing a milestone as she approaches entry into the top ten for career digs at Western Illinois. She needs just 32 more digs to surpass Rachel Horvat's record.

Keyana Cruse has been instrumental for Western Illinois this season, ranking fourth in the OVC for kills per set with an average of 3.42.

On the other side of the net, UT Martin secured its second conference win last weekend by defeating Tennessee State in four sets. Haeleigh Paulino stood out with a triple-double performance during their October 3rd match.

Fans can follow updates from Western Illinois Volleyball on social media platforms including Twitter (@WIUVolleyball), Instagram (wiu_volleyball), and Facebook (WIU Volleyball).