West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's volleyball team faced a challenging match against Tennessee Tech on Thursday night, ultimately falling in four sets. The Leathernecks' conference record now stands at 6-5.

In the first set, Western Illinois took an early lead with a Tennessee Tech service error and a kill by Keyana Cruse. Despite this strong start, Tennessee Tech gained momentum with a 6-0 run. Although WIU attempted a comeback, TTU secured the set with a score of 25-21.

The second set saw WIU trailing initially but quickly catching up to tie the game at seven points each. With consistent plays from Grace Kremer and Brittany Wulf, the Leathernecks managed to take control and won the set 25-18.

Set three began favorably for WIU as they led early on. However, Tennessee Tech responded with consecutive runs that allowed them to pull ahead and eventually claim the set 25-22.

The fourth set mirrored previous ones with WIU starting strong before TTU tied it at ten points. The teams exchanged leads until TTU finished with a decisive 5-0 run, winning the final set 25-22.

Keyana Cruse led Western Illinois with 14 kills and contributed significantly in defense with 21 digs. Kennedy Bauer added 13 kills while Julianna Schmidt recorded ten. Karli Wenzel and Maggie Craker were notable for their defensive efforts, achieving double-digit digs alongside Craker's impressive tally of 42 assists throughout the match.