West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University’s women’s volleyball team lost to Eastern Illinois University in a four-set match on Tuesday night at Gardella Family Court. The Leathernecks won one set but fell 3-1 to the Panthers.

Graduate student outside hitter Keyana Cruse led the team with 17 kills and 19 digs, marking her fifth double-double of the season. Senior right side Elizabeth Ziegler contributed 11 kills, and senior middle blocker Grace Kremer had five kills with a .500 hitting percentage. Junior setter Madelyn Norton and redshirt freshman setter Alysia Perez combined for 36 assists. Libero Karlie Lane led the team defensively with 22 digs.

In the first set, Western Illinois and Eastern Illinois exchanged points, with eight ties throughout. Cruse made several early kills, and junior middle blocker Hillary Estes had two service aces late in the set. Despite these efforts, the Panthers won the set 25-22.

The second set was closely contested. The Leathernecks came back from an early deficit, with contributions from Cruse and Perez. Kills from Kremer and Ziegler tied the score at 24, but Eastern Illinois secured the final two points to win 26-24.

Western Illinois responded in the third set, hitting .244 as a team. Cruse and Ziegler continued to lead offensively, and Norton and Perez coordinated the attack. The Leathernecks won the set 25-23.

In the fourth set, junior setter Grace Ulatowski opened with two aces and a kill, giving Western Illinois an early advantage. However, Eastern Illinois went on a 7-0 run midway through the set and closed out the match 25-14.

The Leathernecks will next host the Tennessee State Tigers on October 24 at 6 p.m. and again on October 25 at 4 p.m.

For more information about the team, updates are available on GoLeathernecks.com and on their social media platforms.