Fond du Lac, Wis. — Illinois Tech women's volleyball traveled into Northern Wisconsin Saturday, looking to do whatever it took to secure their first conference victory in their match at Marian. The Scarlet Hawks battled, scratched and clawed, and when the dust settled, they outlasted the Sabres in a tense five-set match at Sadoff Gymnasium, with set scores of 25-17, 23-25, 25-17, 19-25, 15-10.

Illinois Tech improved to 4-11 overall, and 1-3 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. Marian fell to 1-16 overall and 0-3 in conference.

Head Coach Mark Johnston appreciated the gutsy effort by his squad.

"Just a great win for the team today," said Johnston. "It's always going to be a tough match versus Marian, especially on the road. We did a great job of keeping the match under control. Our highs were really high, and our lows were never that low. That was a much needed win and to be 1-3 in conference, after who we've played, puts us in a good spot right now. Huge shout out to our 3 freshmen. Veronica Lopez did a great job running the offense today. Cecilia Veters came up big on the uutside for us, and Maya Zinkiewicz was strong in the back row for us. Big time contribution in a big time match" Johnson said.

Illinois Tech started strong in the first set against Marian, opening with a 7-0 run. This included three service aces by Veronica Lopez and was aided by multiple attack errors from Marian's Mikalah Mueller. The home team halted the run with a kill by Mueller, but Illinois Tech maintained their momentum, extending the lead to 13-5 with contributions from Sydney Wilson and Victoria Aspurez. Despite a brief rally by Marian with service aces from Harley Bartels narrowing the gap to 23-16, Illinois Tech closed out the set 25-17 with a kill from Cecilia Veters, assisted by Lopez.

In the second set, Illinois Tech took an early lead with a block by Lilia Donaldson and London Francis, bringing the score to 1-0. Marian responded with consistent offensive efforts, including kills from Chloe Walford and Kylie Krueger, to keep the score tight. Illinois Tech tied the game at 20-20 after a series of points, including multiple kills by Francis and Wilson. However, Marian secured the set with a late push, highlighted by a decisive kill from Krueger at 25-23. Lopez played a key role for Illinois Tech, providing multiple assists throughout the set.

In the third set, Illinois Tech established control early on with a 5-1 run, highlighted by consecutive blocks on Krueger from Francis and Donaldson. Wilson added a service ace during this stretch. The Scarlet Hawks extended their lead to 14-7 with Aspurez contributing both a kill and an ace. Despite a brief rally from Marian, bringing them within 24-17, Illinois Tech closed out the set decisively. Anna Elena Sofia Sebastio secured the final point with a kill from Lopez, giving Illinois Tech a 25-17 victory in the set.

In the fourth set, Illinois Tech and Marian exchanged early points with Wilson and Donaldson contributing key blocks and kills, while Krueger led Marian with consistent offensive plays. Marian gradually pulled ahead with a series of kills from Bartels and Jenna Butschlick, as well as capitalizing on several attack errors by Illinois Tech. Francis kept the Scarlet Hawks in contention with multiple kills, but Marian maintained their lead through effective attacks from Natalie Dempze-Enkro and Walford. The set concluded with a service ace by Butschlick, securing a 25-19 victory for Marian in the fourth set.

In the decisive fifth set, Illinois Tech secured a 15-10 victory over Marian with a strong performance. Marian opened with an early 5-1 lead, highlighted by two kills from Bartels. However, Illinois Tech responded with a pivotal 7-0 run, capped by a service ace from Brooke Rifkin and multiple kills by Veters, establishing an 8-5 lead. Wilson contributed with two key kills, both assisted by Lopez, extending the advantage. Illinois Tech maintained control, with the final point coming from a block by Donaldson and Francis against Walford, concluding the match in Illinois Tech's favor.

Scarlet Hawk Standouts

Veronica Lopez  
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- 36 assists  
- 17 digs  
- three block assists  
- three service aces

Lilia Donaldson  
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- team-high eight total blocks  
- eight kills  
- 12 points total  

London Francis  
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- team-high six block assists  
- 11 kills  
- 14 points total  

Victoria Aspurez  
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- 11 kills  
- one solo block  
- 14.5 points total  

Cecilia Veters
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- 10 kills  
- 2 assists 
- 10 points total  


Marian Top Performers
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Kaylie Engebose  
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- 26 assists  
- 10 digs  

Harley Bartels  
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- 8 kills  
- 3 service aces  
- 2 blocks  

Jenna Butschlick  
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- 11 kills  
- 1 service ace  
- 12 points  

Alana McDermott  
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- 25 digs  

Kylie Krueger  
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- 16 digs  
- 9 kills  

Game Notes:
- Illinois Tech evened the series history at 4-4, and have won the last 3 matches.

Up Next
The Scarlet Hawks return home for only the second time this season, when they host Concordia University Chicago at the Keating Sports Center on Wednesday, Oct. 8 at 6 p.m. in another NACC matchup.