West Central Reporter

The Western Illinois University (WIU) Leatherneck volleyball team secured a victory against Southern Indiana, winning in straight sets. This marks their third consecutive win, bringing their overall record to 11-8 and their conference record to 5-3.

Keyana Cruse led the offensive charge with 12 kills, supported by Brittany Wulf with 11 kills, Julianna Schmidt and Elizabeth Ziegler each contributing eight kills, and Grace Nichols adding seven. On defense, Karli Wenzel achieved a match-high of 36 digs while Julianna Schmidt recorded three blocks. Wenzel is now ranked third in career digs within the program's history and is approaching second place.

The first set was tightly contested, with WIU eventually securing it at 32-30 after several lead changes. The Leathernecks gained momentum from key plays by Cruse and aces from Maggie Craker.

In the second set, WIU overcame a six-point deficit to win 25-22. The team executed a crucial run after Southern Indiana's timeout, with notable contributions from Schmidt and Grace Ulatowski.

The third set saw WIU dominate early on and maintain control throughout, concluding with a decisive 25-14 victory over Southern Indiana.

WIU will face Southern Indiana again tomorrow afternoon to conclude their regular season series. The match is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.

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