BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Playing in its lone match of the week, the No. 8 Washington University in St. Louis volleyball team hit the road on Thursday evening to take on Illinois Wesleyan. The Bears improve to 24-4 overall on the season.

The opening set saw the Titans control the scoreboard early, leading by as many as five at 10-5. However, WashU responded by scoring eight of the next 10 points to take their first lead of the set at 13-12, on a kill by graduate Lily Steinbach. After IWU regained the lead, the Bears once again countered with another run, this time a 6-1 stretch, that saw the visitors take a 20-17 lead. Three-straight points for WashU closed out the set, 25-20.

The Titans leveled the match at a set apiece with a 25-21 set two win. IWU led by as many as six on multiple occasions throughout the set before they tied the match at 1-1.

IWU started off strong again in the third set before WashU took the lead at 5-4. With the Bears leading 7-6, a run of 10 unanswered points by WashU gave them an 11-point lead; one they would stretch to as many as 15 at 23-8. A kill by senior Zoe Foster put the Bears back on top 2-1 with a 25-11 set three win.

WashU picked up where it left off in the third by taking a seven-point lead at 13-7 to start the fourth set. The Titans attempted to come back, but could not get any closer than four points, the latest at 18-14, as the Bears got a kill by sophomore Leah Oyewole to close out the set 25-19 and the match, 3-1.

Steinbach led WashU with 14 kills and was one of three Bears to reach double-figures. Senior Jasmine Sells finished with 13 kills and Foster tallied 11 kills on the evening.  

WashU returns to the court on Wednesday, Nov. 6 when they visit Greenville for their final midweek match of the regular season. Game time with the Panthers is scheduled for 7 p.m.