West Central Reporter

Western Illinois University Leathernecks women's volleyball team is set to host the Little Rock Trojans in a pair of matches at Western Hall in Macomb, Illinois. The games are scheduled for Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, November 17 at 2:00 p.m.

The Leathernecks enter the matchup with a record of 7-18 overall and 4-8 in Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) play. In their previous outing, Western Illinois played two matches on the road against Lindenwood. The team displayed strong defensive efforts and balanced scoring throughout the weekend. On Friday, they managed to take a close third set but eventually lost in four sets. Saturday's match also went four sets, featuring a double-double from Keyana Cruse and 12 kills by Elizabeth Ziegler. The team's blocking ability continued to show improvement as they prepare for upcoming contests.

Graduate outside hitter Keyana Cruse has received national attention for her performance this season, ranking 62nd in NCAA total kills. She reached significant career milestones earlier this year by surpassing both 1,000 career kills at the Billiken Invitational and 1,000 career digs during a home match against Tennessee Tech.

Little Rock comes into the series under head coach Van Compton, who is leading the program for her 38th season. Last year, the Trojans finished with an overall record of 16-16 and an OVC mark of 11-7. They currently stand at an even 12-12 overall and have won seven of twelve conference games so far this season. The Trojans were picked to finish fifth in this year's preseason poll and are looking to build momentum following a recent split against Morehead State.

In past meetings between these teams, Western Illinois lost the first game to Little Rock in five sets but came back to win the second match with a straight-set victory.

For Western Illinois' current season leaders: Keyana Cruse leads with 331 kills and also has tallied 368 digs; Jaleah Bauss tops assists with 327 and aces with 34; Grace Kremer leads in blocks with a total of 87.

Following their games against Little Rock, Western Illinois will travel to SEMO on November 13-14 before returning home for matches against USI on November 18-19.

Fans can find more information about Leatherneck Volleyball at GoLeathernecks.com or follow updates through X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and Facebook.