MARION, Ind. -- No. 8-ranked Indiana Wesleyan University volleyball won the rubber match with Grace (Ind.) College 3-0 tonight for the right to advance to the Crossroads League Tournament Championship.

Indiana Wesleyan (34-2) earned the three set victory by scores of 25-23, 25-18, 25-20. It was the first time in three matches this season that the home team won and that the match was decided in just three games.

Grace (22-14) handed Indiana Wesleyan one of its two defeats this season, and the only one in Crossroads League play, in the first league contest of the year on September 5. IWU avenged that loss on October 10 with a 3-2 victory in Winona Lake.

IWU will now host the Crossroads League Tournament Championship on Saturday versus a red-hot Bethel (Ind.) College team. Bethel is 22-11 and is the No. 3-seed in the tournament. BC has won 11 of its last 12 matches and 17-of-19 after starting the season 5-9. Bethel has defeated No. 6 Mount Vernon Nazarene (Ohio) University in the First Round and No. 7 Goshen (Ind.) College in the semifinals to reach Saturday's championship match.

Indiana Wesleyan received a big effort tonight from sophomore opposite hitter Alijah Mulitauopele. She finished with 12 kills -- the third highest single game effort in her career -- with a .296 hitting percentage. Mulitauopele also had her second highest kill effort earlier the season against Grace with 14.

Junior outside hitter Rae Brandes and senior outside hitter Rachel Quackenbush both contributed nine kills while senior setter Yui Iwase assisted on 35 successful attacks. Quackenbush and junior libero Rebecca Brandes each led the Wildcats with 11 digs apiece.

At the net, Indiana Wesleyan blocked eight Grace kill attempts for points. Freshman middle hitter Kristin Predajna had two solo blocks plus three assists and junior middle hitter Kristine Egebrecht added three block assists. Rae Brandes, Mulitauopele, and Iwase all contributed two block assists.

Indiana Wesleyan will seek to win its second straight tournament championship on Saturday at 3 p.m. Top-seed Indiana Wesleyan hosts Bethel inside Luckey Arena where the first 100 Indiana Wesleyan students will receive free admission to the match, courtesy of the Indiana Wesleyan Athletic Department.