OMAHA, NEB. - No. 1 Indiana Wesleyan volleyball finished the CSM Labor Day Classic with another split, dropping a five set battle with No. 16 Viterbo before finishing the weekend on a high note by defeating Northwestern 3-1 in a rematch of the 2023 national championship. The Wildcats will head into league play with a 4-3 record after a tough early season schedule that featured matches with four preseason Top-25 teams. IWU will put their 42 match Crossroads League winning streak on the line against Grace on Wednesday to open league play.
 

THE ESSENTIALS

• Location: Lied Fitness Center | Omaha, Neb.
• Records: IWU - 4-3 | Viterbo - 3-4 | Northwestern - 6-2
• NAIA Top-25 Ranking: IWU - #1 | VU - #16 | NC - #7

MATCH ONE VITALS

• Set one saw both teams throw punches with IWU taking a 12-9 lead after a 9-4 run. Viterbo immediately came back with a 4-0 run. The Wildcats used a 7-1 run to turn a 20-18 deficit into a 25-21 victory.
• The second set similarly saw the teams go back and forth but this time it was the V-Hawks getting the final run. Using a 7-1 run to go from trailing 21-18 to a 25-22 win.
• Indiana Wesleyan got a quick start in set three, taking a 6-1 lead. They would extend their lead to as much as 9 as they coasted to a 25-17 victory.
• The Wildcats had no answers for Viterbo in set four, falling behind early. The red and gray never made the set competitive as they dropped the set 25-12.
• With the fifth set tied at 5, the V-Hawks made the decisive run scoring 3 straight and going on a 6-2 run to gain some breathing room. IWU would pull within 2 points at multiple times but dropped the set 15-12.

• Avery Caskey led IWU with a career high 12 kills.
• Marissa Mullins totaled 6 blocks. Caskey and Shae Williams added 3 each.
• Abbigail Porter posted 44 assists.
• Cadee Notter recorded 26 digs.

• IWU got off to a strong start in set one and held a slight lead for the majority of the set. The Red Raiders made a quick 5-1 run to take a 24-23 lead, but 3 straight points from the Wildcats prevented a Northwestern comeback.
• Neither team led by more than 3 points the entire second set, but NC scored 4 of the final 5 points to take the set 25-21.
• A 10-4 Wildcat run turned a 10-10 tie into a 20-14 lead for the red and gray. The teams traded points the rest of the way for a 25-19 IWU win.
• Indiana Wesleyan looked dominant to start the fourth set, taking a 15-6 lead and eventually led 22-13 poised to finish off the match. Northwestern didn't quit however, using a 7-1 run to force IWU into their final timeout. After the Wildcats scored 1 point, the Red Raiders scored 3 straight to pull within 1 at 24-13. A kill from Avery Caskey ended the threat and gave Indiana Wesleyan a 3-1 victory.

• Marin Sanchez (17), Ella Mauck (14), and Avery Caskey (14) all set career highs in kills.
• Marissa Mullins led the defense with 4 blocks. Mauck and Jessica Ickes both had 2.
• Abbigail Porter posted 55 assists.
• Cadee Notter tallied 21 digs.

LOOKING AHEAD

• Indiana Wesleyan heads to Winona Lake to face Grace in their Crossroads League Opener on September 3rd at 7pm.

NEXT HOME MATCH

• The Wildcats host Bethel on September 13th at 1:00 PM.
• Individuals looking to attend can purchase tickets at IWUWildcats.com/Tickets
• Links for live stats and video can be found at IWUWildcats.com

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