Milwaukee, Wis. — With a chance to pull even in the conference standings, Illinois Tech women's volleyball traveled to Milwaukee for a NACC clash with MSOE. The Scarlet Hawks came out strong and never looked back, as they defeated the Raiders in straight sets on Saturday afternoon at the Kern Center, securing a 3-0 victory with set scores of 25-16, 25-17, 26-24. Illinois Tech holds an overall record of 8-12 and is 4-4 within the NACC. MSOE stands at 4-17 overall, with a conference record of 2-5 in the NACC.
Illinois Tech's offense was led by a team total of 37 kills and a .217 hitting percentage.
The first set began with both teams trading points closely, but the Scarlet Hawks gradually pulled ahead.
London Francis initiated the scoring with a kill, assisted by
Karla Trautmann Mendez. MSOE's Gillian McDaniel responded with multiple kills, but Illinois Tech stayed competitive with contributions from
Sydney Wilson, who tallied several key kills to help build a lead. At a pivotal moment,
Cecilia Veters scored consecutive points to tie and then take a narrow lead, 7-6. Illinois Tech capitalized on MSOE errors, extending their lead to 19-13. Despite service errors by both teams, Illinois Tech maintained control, with Wilson securing the set point on a kill from
Rowan Midgette, concluding the set 25-16 in favor of Illinois Tech.
Illinois Tech claimed the second set decisively against the Raiders, 25-17. The visiting team capitalized on a series of errors and strong serving to build momentum. Wilson contributed significantly with a kill and a service ace, helping Illinois Tech stretch the lead.
Veronica Lopez's serving was pivotal, as she delivered four consecutive aces late in the set, widening the gap to 24-17. Trautmann Mendez sealed the set with a kill from Lopez, ending the set in favor of the Scarlet Hawks.
The third set was closely contested between the Hawks and the Raiders, with both teams exchanging points frequently. Illinois Tech secured an early lead with a kill by Francis, but MSOE quickly tied it up. Midway through the set, Wilson contributed a service ace, helping Illinois Tech to a 13-12 advantage. MSOE rallied to level the score at 19-19, capitalizing on errors by the Scarlet Hawks. A late surge by Illinois Tech, including a decisive kill by Lopez, pushed them ahead 25-24. The set concluded with a service error from MSOE's Katie Moser, giving Illinois Tech a narrow 26-24 victory.
Scarlet Hawk Standouts
Sydney Wilson
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- 9 kills, hitting .348
- 2 service aces
- 11.5 points total
Veronica Lopez
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- 5 service aces
- 16 assists
- perfect 1.000 hitting percentage
Karla Trautmann Mendez
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- 9 kills
- 1 service ace
- 10 points total
Brooke Rifkin
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- 15 digs
MSOE Top Performers
Gillian McDaniel
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- 7 kills
- 7.5 points
Brenna Fledderman
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- 2 service aces
- 3 solo blocks
- 7 points
Natalie Martinez
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- 3 assists
- 12 digs
Maddie Abel
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- 8 assists
- 7 digs
Alyssa Rusch
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- 4 kills
- 3 total blocks
Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech is now 5-4 lifetime against MSOE.
Up Next
Looking ahead, Illinois Tech will host Andrews University in a non-conference match at the Keating Sports Center on Tuesday, October 21, with a 6:00 p.m. start time.
