West Central Reporter

WIU Volleyball concluded their regular season with a loss to Tennessee State in a closely contested match that ended two sets to three on Friday night. This result splits the series 1-1 between the teams. The Leathernecks now await their seeding for the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament, which will be determined after the completion of the league's regular season play by November 20.

The team achieved a total of 54 kills and eight service aces during the match. Keyana Cruse led with 15 kills, setting a new record for WIU Volleyball as the program's all-time leader for kills in a single season, surpassing the previous record of 511 kills. Maggie Craker contributed significantly with five service aces and a match-high of 45 assists.

In the first set, WIU fell short with a score of 20-25. Cruse managed six kills, while Craker, Grace Nichols, and Elizabeth Ziegler each added two. The second set saw WIU bounce back to win 25-20 after numerous tie scores and lead changes.

Tennessee State regained momentum in the third set, winning it 25-17 as WIU struggled with a .025 hitting percentage. However, WIU rallied in set four to win 25-22, thanks to strong performances from Cruse and Wulf who had four and three kills respectively. Craker also added ten assists during this set.

The decisive fifth set went in favor of Tennessee State with a narrow victory of 15-13, concluding the match.

The Leathernecks now turn their attention to their placement in the upcoming Ohio Valley Conference volleyball tournament scheduled for November 24-26 at an undecided location.

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