Illinois Wesleyan sweeps Asbury to advance in NCAA volleyball tournament

Illinois Wesleyan University's women's volleyball team advanced to the NCAA Tournament regional semifinal after a straight-sets victory over Asbury University at the Shirk Center in Bloomington, Illinois. The Titans, ranked No. 2 and holding the top seed in the Bloomington regional, improved their season record to 27-2 with set scores of 25-18, 25-17, and 25-14.

Asbury University, participating in its first NCAA Tournament, ended its season with a 22-8 record.

Senior Taylor French and sophomore Alex Bardouniotis each recorded double-doubles for Illinois Wesleyan. French had 11 kills and 11 digs, while Bardouniotis contributed 10 kills and 11 digs. Senior Hannah Tellor added nine kills without an attack error, finishing with a .529 hitting percentage.

The Titans' offense was coordinated by junior Sophia Feeney and freshman Lauren O'Brien. Feeney led with 19 assists and tied her career-high with four aces; O'Brien added 15 assists.

On defense, Illinois Wesleyan limited Asbury to a .067 hitting percentage and totaled six blocks. Tellor and freshman Carly Whitaker each had four blocks. Junior Eleanor Palmer contributed two blocks, while senior Kannyn Boyd led the team with 12 digs.

Statistically, Illinois Wesleyan led Asbury in kills (40-25), aces (8-3), blocks (6-3), and assists (35-23). Both teams finished with 48 digs.

The match saw both teams exchanging points early before Illinois Wesleyan took control late in each set. Key plays included multiple aces from Feeney and French as well as strong blocking efforts from Tellor and Whitaker.

Illinois Wesleyan will play fifth-seeded St. Olaf College in the regional semifinal at 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 21 at the Shirk Center.