MARION, Ind. — Indiana Wesleyan swept Grace in straight sets, winning 25-20, 25-18, 25-19, in Luckey Arena on Saturday. The victory in the Crossroads League Quarterfinals, sets the stage for Indiana Wesleyan to face the winner of #4 Taylor and #5 Spring Arbor in the semifinals. Indiana Wesleyan recorded a .278 hitting percentage with 48 kills, including 18 in the opening set.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Indiana Wesleyan University | Marion, Ind.
- Records: IWU - 25-4, 17-1 | GC - 15-16, 8-10
- NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU - #5 | GC - NR
SET ONE
- Indiana Wesleyan opened with a 3-0 run, highlighted by kills from Marissa Mullins and Abbigail Porter.
- Grace countered with a 5-0 stretch, including consecutive service aces, to take an early lead at 12-8.
- The Wildcats responded with a critical 4-0 run late in the set, driven by two Shae Williams kills, to tie the score at 20-20.
- The home side closed on a decisive 5-0 run, with Williams adding two more kills, to secure a 25-20 set victory.
SET TWO
- GC capitalized on early errors by IWU, taking a 3-1 lead with back-to-back attack errors by Jessica Ickes and Eva Joldersma.
- Indiana Wesleyan and Grace traded points until a kill by Marin Sanchez tied the score at 9-9, shifting momentum.
- A critical timeout by Grace at 20-16 favored the red and grey, which led to a 4-1 run post-timeout, extending their lead to 22-16.
- IWU closed the set with consecutive kills by Marissa Mullins, securing a 25-18 victory to even the match.
SET THREE
- The Wildcats opened with a 4-0 run, capitalizing on two attack errors by the Lancers.
- Grace rallied to tie the score at 10-10, aided by consecutive kills.
- Post-timeout, Indiana Wesleyan responded with a 6-1 spurt, extending their lead to 18-13, driven by consecutive kills from Williams.
- Indiana Wesleyan regained control with a 5-0 stretch, including a critical service ace by Cadee Notter, prompting a timeout from GC at 13-10.
- Indiana Wesleyan closed the set 25-19, maintaining momentum with a decisive kill from Marin Sanchez.
KEY WILDCATS
LOOKING AHEAD
- The Wildcats will face the winner of Taylor/Spring Arbor in the Crossroads League Tournament Semifinals on Wednesday at 7:00 PM.
- Links for tickets, live stats, and video can be found at IWUWildcats.com.
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