INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. — Indiana Wesleyan defeated Marian in four sets on Tuesday night, securing the match with scores of 26-28, 25-17, 25-17, 25-14. This victory showcased Indiana Wesleyan's blocking strength, with a total of 16.0 blocks compared to Marian's 5.0, and clinched the Crossroads League regular season title for the Wildcats for the third consecutive year.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marian University | Indianapolis, Ind.
- Records: IWU - 22-4, 15-1 | MU - 15-10, 7-9
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU - #5 | MU - RV
SET ONE
- The teams traded early points until Indiana Wesleyan gained a 21-19 edge, fueled by two kills from Eva Joldersma.
- Marian responded with a 5-1 run, highlighted by a service ace, to take a 24-23 lead.
- Indiana Wesleyan leveled the score at 26-26 with a block by Marissa Mullins and Shae Williams.
- Marian clinched the set 28-26 after consecutive kills.
SET TWO
- Indiana Wesleyan opened with strong defensive plays, capitalizing on two early Marian errors to take a 2-0 lead.
- The visiting team maintained momentum with a 7-5 advantage, highlighted by Joldersma's three kills.
- A crucial timeout by Marian at 14-9 did little to stem the tide as the red and grey extended their lead to 21-12, helped by multiple Marian attack errors.
- IWU closed the set with a 25-17 victory, maintaining control after a late Marian surge.
SET THREE
- Indiana Wesleyan capitalized on early errors from Marian, taking a 4-2 lead with contributions from Mullins and Joldersma.
- Williams sparked a surge with three kills, helping IWU build a 7-5 advantage.
- A 7-1 run, accented by an ace from Dayessi Luis, extended Indiana Wesleyan's lead to 15-8.
- The Wildcats maintained control, closing the set at 25-17 on Joldersma's kill, taking a 2-1 match lead.
SET FOUR
- Indiana Wesleyan opened the set strong, capitalizing on two attack errors by Marian and a kill by Camaya Murry to take a 3-0 lead.
- Marian called a timeout after the Wildcats extended their lead to 6-1 with consecutive kills from Abbigail Porter and Joldersma.
- The red and grey maintained control, responding to Marian's efforts with a 5-1 run to stretch the gap to 15-8, forcing another timeout from the Knights.
- Indiana Wesleyan closed the set and match on a 5-1 run, capped by a service ace from Daniella Joseph and a final kill by Joldersma, winning the set 25-14.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- IWU heads to Upland to face Taylor on Saturday at 4:00 PM.
- Links for live stats and video can be found at IWUWildcats.com.
NEXT HOME MATCH
- The Wildcats return home to face Goshen for the final regular season match of the season on November 5th at 7:00 PM.
- Links for live stats and video can be found at IWUWildcats.com.
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