MARION, Ind. – Indiana Wesleyan Women's Volleyball reverse-swept Grace College on Wednesday night, dropping the first two sets and then winning the next three for a 3-2 victory (25-27, 15-25, 25-18, 25-22, 15-10). The Wildcats closed the regular season with their eighth straight win and their seventh in a row in Crossroads League play. They finished 23-8 overall and 15-3 in the CRL, and the win split the season series after the Lancers took the first meeting 3-2 on Oct. 1. Camaya Murry served five aces and Aubree Deshetsky had 20 kills. IWU outblocked Grace 11.0-8.0 and edged the Lancers 105-102 in total points.
THE ESSENTIALS
- Location: Marion, Ind.
- Records: Indiana Wesleyan 23-8 overall, 15-3 CRL; Grace 25-7 overall, 13-5 CRL
- NAIA Rankings: IWU - #12 | Grace - #20
SET 1 (L, 25-27)
- The opener was tied eight times. IWU built an 8-4 lead on a 4-0 run (4-4 to 8-4), three of the points on Shae Williams's serve. Grace answered with a 4-0 run (10-6 to 10-10) on Carsyn Witt's serve, including two aces.
- The Wildcats pulled ahead again with 3-0 runs (10-10 to 13-10 and 13-11 to 16-11). Grace came back with a 4-0 run (15-20 to 19-20) on Reagan Owens's serve.
- IWU reached three set points at 24-21 on a 3-0 run with Daniella Joseph serving. Grace answered with a 4-0 run (24-21 to 24-25), three of the points on Anna Elkin's serve.
- Deshetsky's kill tied it at 25-25, but Grace took the final two points to win, 27-25.
SET 2 (L, 15-25)
- Grace opened with an 8-0 run (0-1 to 8-1), seven of the points on Grace Bowers's serve, including three aces.
- IWU answered with a 3-0 run (2-9 to 5-9) on Williams's serve and another (5-10 to 8-10) on Marin Sanchez's serve with an ace, to get within two.
- Grace pulled away with 4-0 runs (8-10 to 8-14 and 14-20 to 14-24) behind Owens and Olivia Martinez, who served an ace, and won it 25-15.
- IWU hit .122 in the set.
SET 3 (W, 25-18)
- Murry served four points in a 5-0 run (2-3 to 7-3) that included an ace. Grace cut the lead to 11-10 with 3-0 runs (9-4 to 9-7 and 11-7 to 11-10).
- Aiva Kresge's serve fueled a 3-0 run (18-15 to 21-15) that included an ace, and Blair Gardiner's serve produced a closing 3-0 run (22-18 to 25-18).
SET 4 (W, 25-22)
- IWU opened with a 4-0 run (1-2 to 5-2), three points of it on Murry's serve with an ace. Grace tied it at 6-6 with a 3-0 run on Martinez's serve.
- Joseph's serve sparked a 4-0 run (8-7 to 12-7), and Murry's serve produced another (15-14 to 19-14), including an ace.
- Grace came back with 4-0 runs (15-10 to 15-14 and 14-19 to 18-19), but Ashlee Gallegos's serve fueled a 3-0 run (19-18 to 22-18), and Deshetsky's kill ended it, 25-22.
SET 5 (W, 15-10)
- The decider was tied six times. Gardiner served the Wildcats to a 5-0 run (7-7 to 12-7), four of the points on her serve, including an ace.
- Grace called timeouts at 9-7 and 13-8, but IWU held on, 15-10. Grace hit .000 in the set.
KEY WILDCATS
- Aubree Deshetsky — 20 kills, 4 block assists
- Shae Williams — 18 kills, .261 hitting percentage, 13 digs
- Camaya Murry — 5 aces, 21 digs
- Blair Gardiner — 35 assists, 5 kills (.375 hitting percentage), 2 aces, 7 digs
- Jaycee Folkers — 5 blocks (2 solo, 3 assists), 4 kills
- Breanna Tubergen — 5 blocks (1 solo, 4 assists), 4 kills
- Ashlee Gallegos — 13 assists, 11 digs
LOOKING AHEAD
- Indiana Wesleyan opens postseason play in the Crossroads League Quarterfinal on Saturday, Nov. 7, at 4 p.m. against the Huntington University Foresters. The Wildcats swept Huntington 3-0 on Sept. 23 and won 3-1 on Oct. 28.
- Links for live stats and video are available at IWUWildcats.com.
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