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Box Score 2 MARIETTA, Ohio — Entering the NCAA Division III Women's Volleyball Tournament as a sixth seed didn't sit well with Illinois Wesleyan.
The Titans (24-9) made a statement Friday night.
"I think we came in with that chip on our shoulder knowing that we should have been ranked higher and this just proves it," said senior Abby Erdman.
The Titans (24-9) knocked off ninth-ranked Marietta 3-0 on its home court Friday night in front of a crowd of 495 at Ban Johnson Arena. IWU will face Wisconsin-Oshkosh in the Sweet 16 at 7 p.m. Saturday in Marietta.
However, it took every ounce of energy as the Titans won by set scores of 30-28, 25-22 and 25-23.
"As everyone saw it was point-for-point and it was a matter of timing many times. I don't think they faltered at all," said IWU coach Kim Nelson-Brown. "They kept matching every time and when we tried to make an adjustment I think they did a great job countering that. I love the tenacity and grit that this team showed today. I think they stayed calm in those situations and Marietta did a fantastic job of putting pressure on us."
Herdman added, "It felt like a five-setter. That was a long game and I felt like we were going for point-for-point. I have a lot of respect for that team. They played very well and were able to find our weaknesses."
The first set was the toughest of the night as it featured nine ties and six set-points. For the match, there were 24 ties and 12 lead changes.
"I've never been a part of a game like this where neither team backed down," said Marietta coach
Kristy Newman. "Usually you get to that point and then the wheels come off. After set one to be like that and for it not to go our way, we could have easily said we've given it all we got and then the wheels could have come off. And they didn't. It was super impressive."
Five Titans posted seven-or-more kills in the match, led by junior Taylor French's match-best 17 kills. Junior Hannah Tellor, freshman Alex Bardouniotis, and fifth-year Jordan Pierce each had eight kills. Sophomore Eleanor Palmer added seven kills.
As a team, Illinois Wesleyan hit .204 with 53 kills, while Marietta was credited with 39 kills on a .206 clip. The Titans enjoyed a 14-dig advantage, 72-58, behind the play of junior Kannyn Boyd, sophomore Sophia Feeney, and Erdman.
"I felt like I tried super hard to not even look at the score. I trusted in our team so much," Feeney said. "I feel like going into it we had that confidence and it didn't matter what the score was and we knew what we could do."
Boyd had a match-high 19 digs, while Feeney and Erdman each posted double-doubles with 20 assists. Feeney added 10 digs, while Erdman had 11.
Marietta fifth-year
Maggie Fellers (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) led the Pioneers with eight kills, four aces and 16 digs. Fellers, the Ohio Athletic Conference Player of the Year, completed one of the best careers in MC history. She said coming back for an extra season was the right choice.
"I will never regret that decision to come back," she said. "I just knew this group was special and I had a feeling deep down inside and I went with my gut. It was honestly one of the best decisions I've ever made."
Senior
Mia Silva (Barberton, Ohio/Barberton) had five kills for Marietta (24-2).
"At the end of the day, we both wanted it really bad," she said. "However, Illinois Wesleyan just did a good job of taking care of things."
Senior setter
Emory Spitler (Lebanon, Ohio/Lebanon) had 28 assists and five kills, while
Ella Boyer (Bay Village, Ohio/Saint Joseph Academy) and
Jillian Fellers (Alliance, Ohio/Marlington) each had seven kills.
"I'm super proud of our team," Newman said. "It has to end at some point. This group is special. Is it the way we wanted it to end? No. Only one team gets to end on a smile, and even then it still ends. If I had my choice, we'd just keep them all forever."
Fans can follow all the Pioneer teams all year long at
pioneers.marietta.edu. You can also follow the Pioneers on Facebook at
facebook.com/MariettaCollege and @MariettaPioneer on X and Instagram.
