West Central Reporter

Macomb, Ill - The Western Illinois University (WIU) Leatherneck Volleyball team is set to face in-state rival Eastern Illinois University (EIU) this week. Matches are scheduled for Thursday at 6 p.m. and Friday at 4 p.m. WIU is looking to rebound after consecutive losses against Tennessee Tech last week, marking their first back-to-back defeats since September 13. Currently, the Leathernecks hold a 2-3 record in the Ohio Valley Conference, placing them seventh.

Two players from WIU are nearing significant milestones. Karli Wenzel has accumulated 1,619 career digs and needs 131 more to rank second all-time in the program's history. She has achieved double-digit digs in 15 of the team's 16 matches this season. Maggie Craker has recorded 2,648 career assists and requires an additional 293 to become fourth all-time in career assists for WIU. Craker had a standout performance with a season-high of 52 assists against South Dakota State on September 6 and has managed over 30 assists in 12 matches this season.

Eastern Illinois enters the matchup with an overall record of 4-10 and a conference record of 0-4. In their conference games, EIU was swept by Lindenwood and Southern Indiana, with only one match extending beyond three sets. Last year, EIU won the OVC volleyball tournament as the top seed, sweeping every opponent they faced and finishing with an impressive overall record of 28-5.

Senior outside hitter Kaitlynn Flynn leads EIU's offense with an average of just under 2.5 kills per set (2.51), totaling 108 kills this season with a hitting percentage of .161. Defensively, libero Aridana Pereles tops the team in digs with a total of 117 (2.39 DIG/S).

Looking ahead, WIU will travel to Evansville, IN to compete against Southern Indiana on October 18 and October 19. Matches are scheduled for Friday at 6:00 p.m., followed by Saturday at 2 p.m.

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