West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University Leathernecks women's volleyball team is set to host the Leatherneck Classic from September 18-20 at Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois. The tournament will feature teams from Chicago State, Valparaiso, and Missouri.

In their most recent match, the Leathernecks secured a sweep against Kansas City, with Keyana Cruse leading the team by recording thirteen kills. The team returns to action on Friday afternoon for the start of the home tournament.

Keyana Cruse recently surpassed 1,000 career kills during the Billiken Invitational. She is also approaching another milestone, needing just 40 more digs to reach 1,000 in her WIU career.

This season brings eight new players to the Leathernecks' roster. Among them are transfers Kiyah Franklin from Youngstown State and Alysia Perez from the University of Illinois-Chicago. Head Coach Dale Starr has also added six freshmen representing five different states: Ashlee Markert and Martyna Sowiak from Illinois; Jaleah Bauss from Texas; Aubrey Pender from Arkansas; Caroline Clayton from Kansas; and Ella Haines from Wisconsin.

The squad's returning players are led by senior Keyana Cruse, who led WIU last season in points (590), kills (519), sets played (114), matches started (30), as well as digs (463) and blocks (72) among returners. Elizabeth Ziegler also returns after posting a career-high 260 kills last year while appearing in all 30 matches.

Western Illinois was predicted to finish sixth in this year's Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll—their highest projected finish since joining the conference. SEMO topped the poll as last season's OVC regular season champion with Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech also receiving first-place votes.

Both outside hitters Keyana Cruse and Kennedy Adair earned All-OVC Preseason Honors for WIU. Cruse was named to the All-OVC Preseason team while junior Kennedy Adair was highlighted as a player to watch this season.

Chicago State enters the tournament under new head coach Kamille Jones following a strong showing last year in their first Northeast Conference campaign, finishing 17-9 overall and winning the regular-season title. Notable returning players include Patrycja Lagida—NEC Player of the Year—and setter Wiktoria Zagumny—Setter of the Year.

Valparaiso's volleyball program aims for progress in the Missouri Valley Conference after an 18-14 overall record last season under longtime head coach Carin Avery, who holds over 500 wins at Valpo.

Missouri comes into 2025 ranked fourth in SEC preseason coaches’ poll after going 22-9 overall last year and making a postseason appearance. Libero Maya Sands is expected to be a key contributor for the Tigers this season.

For further information on Western Illinois University Leathernecks women's volleyball, updates can be found at GoLeathernecks.com or through their social media channels on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.