De Pere, Wis. — Illinois Tech Women's Volleyball came into the NACC Tournament as the 7th seed and secured a decisive 3-0 victory over number 2 seed St. Norbert College (22-9, 11-2 NACC) at the Mulva Family Fitness & Sports Center, winning by scores of 26-24, 25-20, and 25-18. Illinois Tech recorded a total of 43 kills, with an impressive .343 hitting percentage in the second set.
Illinois Tech improved its overall record to 13-14 and holds a 7-6 record in NACC play. The Green Knights finish the season at 22-9 overall with an 11-2 record in the NACC.
Illinois Tech started the first set against the Green Knights with a back-and-forth exchange, eventually finding themselves trailing 4-0 due to attack errors. Continuing to battle, Illinois Tech capitalized on service errors and key plays, including a service ace by
Victoria Aspurez, to narrow the gap to 13-12. The Green Knights extended their lead to 23-19, but Illinois Tech responded with a surge that would last not only the rest of the set but the match, as they tied the set at 23-23 through consecutive attack errors by their opponents. Seniors
London Francis and
Ana Jones delivered crucial kills, securing a tense 26-24 victory for Illinois Tech in the opening set.
Illinois Tech secured a 25-20 win in the second set against the Green Knights.
Lilia Donaldson and
London Francis each contributed early kills to give the visitors an edge. A key momentum shift occurred when
Victoria Aspurez and Francis teamed up for consecutive blocks, extending the lead to 13-10. Aspurez further strengthened the lead with two kills, while
Karla Trautmann Mendez added valuable points down the stretch. The Green Knights attempted a comeback, with Casey Vaughan and Kirsten Klatt each recording late kills, but Francis sealed the set with a final kill assisted by
Rowan Midgette.
Illinois Tech opened the third set with a service ace by
Karla Trautmann Mendez, setting the tone for a strong performance.
Ana Jones delivered back-to-back kills for Illinois Tech, contributing to a 6-3 lead. As the set progressed,
Victoria Aspurez and
Karla Trautmann Mendez each added multiple kills, helping Illinois Tech extend their advantage to 17-9. The Green Knights fought back with a brief run, narrowing the gap to 24-18. However,
Rowan Midgette secured the set for Illinois Tech with a decisive kill, concluding the set and the match at 25-18.
Illinois Tech Top Performers
Karla Trautmann Mendez
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- 13 kills on .423 hitting
- 11 digs
- 14.5 points
Victoria Aspurez
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- 8 kills on .333 hitting
- 4 block assists
- 11 points
Rowan Midgette
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- 33 assists
- 5 digs
- 1 service ace
Brooke Rifkin
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- 15 digs
- 3 assists
- 1 service ace
Green Knights Top Performers
Heidi Colburn
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- 25 assists
- 11 digs
- 1 block assist
Mari Szews
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- 7 kills
- 8 points
- 1 service ace
Casey Vaughan
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- 11 digs
- 5 kills
- 1 block assist
Game Notes:
- Tonight's victory was the first for the Scarlet Hawks over the Green Knights, bringing their record against them to 1-5.
- Illinois Tech is now 2-0 vs the Green Knights in NACC tournament contests this year.
Up Next
Illinois Tech will be on the road facing 3rd seed Aurora University on Thursday, Nov. 13 at 7 p.m in the NACC Semifinals.
