West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University's volleyball team faced a challenging match against Little Rock, resulting in a narrow defeat over five sets. Despite trailing 2-0 initially, the Leathernecks made a strong comeback to force a fifth set but ultimately fell short of achieving a reverse sweep.

Keyana Cruse led the team's offensive efforts with a double-double, recording a match-high 21 kills. Maggie Craker contributed significantly with 38 assists. On the defensive side, Grace Kremer achieved five blocks and Grace Ulatowski had 23 digs.

The opening set saw Little Rock dominate with a decisive 25-8 win. In the second set, Western Illinois initially took an early lead with contributions from Elizabeth Ziegler and Grace Nichols but could not maintain it as Little Rock claimed the set 25-22.

The third set featured back-and-forth play until Western Illinois gained momentum with a 10-1 run, securing the set at 25-13. This momentum carried into the fourth set where they established an early lead and eventually won 25-18, pushing the match to a deciding fifth set.

In the final set, Little Rock started strongly and maintained their advantage despite Western Illinois' efforts to close the gap. The Trojans sealed their victory with a 15-11 win in the fifth set.

The Leathernecks are scheduled to face Little Rock again tomorrow afternoon at 2 p.m.