Dupage Policy Journal

Top-seeded Illinois Wesleyan and second-seeded Carthage have advanced to the final of the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Women’s Volleyball Championship after winning their semifinal matches in straight sets on Thursday.

Illinois Wesleyan defeated fourth-seeded Wheaton, maintaining its undefeated home record. The Titans, ranked third nationally by the AVCA, improved their overall record to 25-2 and are now 13-0 at home. In the opening set against Wheaton, Illinois Wesleyan pulled ahead late with a key kill from Hannah Tellor to win 25-22. The second set was closely contested until a series of kills from Taylor French and Alex Bardouniotis helped IWU regain control and close out the frame 25-21. The Titans dominated the third set with strong serving from French and Tellor, limiting Wheaton to just 14 points and securing victory on an attack error.

Illinois Wesleyan posted a .307 hitting percentage while holding Wheaton to .111. The Titans also had a significant advantage in total points scored, finishing with a 57–38 edge. Taylor French led IWU with 17 kills, while setters Sophia Feeney and Lauren O’Brien combined for 34 assists. For Wheaton, Jordan Benford recorded a double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.

Carthage earned its spot in the championship match by defeating third-seeded Millikin. The Firebirds reached their twentieth win of the season behind a .257 attack percentage and a dominant performance at the service line, tallying thirteen aces compared to Millikin’s one.

The first set between Carthage and Millikin was tight until Carthage secured it on a service ace by Tatum Kebisek after Millikin tied it at 23-23. In the second set, Carthage increased its pressure, hitting .318 as a team while holding Millikin to -.080; they delivered six aces in that frame alone. Although Millikin attempted a comeback in the third set, Carthage maintained control and closed out the match on Kristina Manojlovic’s twelfth kill of the night. Ava Dettwiler contributed twenty assists and eight kills for Carthage; Addison Oyer led Millikin with eight kills.

Saturday’s championship will take place at IWU’s Shirk Center in Bloomington at 7:30 p.m., marking both teams’ return to this stage. Illinois Wesleyan is seeking its second consecutive CCIW Tournament title—its fourth since 2018—while Carthage aims for its first championship since 2019. This will be their first postseason meeting since IWU won the title match over Carthage in three sets in Bloomington in 2021.