MOUNT PLEASANT – Allegra Tennis (Sr.-Madison, Wis.) and Megan McVey (Jr.-Fort Worth, Texas) both had 13 kills and Iowa Wesleyan College won its third straight non-conference match with a four-set win over Monmouth (Ill.) College Tuesday night at Ruble Arena.
The Tigers defeated the Fighting Scots 25-16, 25-17, 24-26, 25-20, controlling most of the match except for a spell in the third set and improving to 8-19 overall this season. IWC also picked its third straight win against a member of the NCAA Division III Midwest Conference by defeating Monmouth, which dropped to 17-8 this season.
Wesleyan used a significant size advantage to post a .170 hitting percentage with 53 kills to just 26 errors on the night. The Tigers also had ten blocks in the match as Monmouth struggled hitting just .060 with 34 kills and 25 errors.
Iowa Wesleyan was ahead almost all of the first set and came on late in the second set to take momentum in the match with a 2-0 lead. Tennis and B.J. Wagy (Sr.-Cedar Rapids, Iowa) both had eight kills as the Tigers won the first two sets comfortably.
The Fighting Scots were able to grind out a win in the third set, taking an early lead before IWC rallied late in the set to overcome a five-point deficit. Wesleyan actually had a match point at 24-23 after a kill by McVey, but Monmouth got a kill from Chelsea Widdop to save match point and then won the set after two attack errors by the Tigers.
IWC seemed ready to regain control early in the fourth set, jumping out to an early 8-4 lead. The Scots clawed back in again and took a 13-11 lead, leading to a timeout by Tigers’ Head Coach Jill Blake. Wesleyan responded with four straight points and would never trail again, pulling out to a five-point lead and scoring the final three points to close the match out after Monmouth closed within 22-20 late.
Tennis scored 13 kills with just four attack errors in 26 attempts for a .346 hitting percentage to lead the Tigers. Wagy also added 12 kills and Kara Dennell (Fr.-Kansas City, Mo.) totaled seven kills.
Kendra Zimmerman (Sr.-Green Bay, Wis.) posted 40 assists and also led the team defensively with 18 digs. McVey added 17 digs and Wagy led the team with seven blocks. Wagy and Alexi Holmes (So.-Richland, Iowa) also both had four service aces each.
The Tigers are back on the court and back in Midwest Collegiate Conference play at home Wednesday night when they face St. Ambrose University at 7 p.m. at Ruble Arena.
Box score IWC 3 Monmouth 1
