Following the program’s second straight 8-0 season in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW), the Illinois Wesleyan University women’s volleyball team racked up seven All-CCIW honors — their program best.
Seniors Taylor French, Hannah Tellor and Kannyn Boyd earned First Team All-CCIW honors alongside juniors Eleanor Palmer and Sophia Feeney and sophomore Alex Bardouniotis. First-year Lauren O’Brian also earned Second Team recognition. Senior Raegan Watts was also IWU’s recipient of the CCIW RESPECT Award, which recognizes athletes for their character and service to their team.
The green and white also took home three of the CCIW’s five specialty awards.
After a dominant season where she led the conference in kills per set, points per set and aces per set, French earned the CCIW Offensive Player of the Year honor for the third year straight. French is also the first player in program history to be a four-time First Team All-CCIW honoree.
“I’ve worked hard for these accomplishments, but I share these awards with so many people,” French said, “I’ve had an amazing coaching staff that’s always put me in a position to succeed, and for four years I’ve had teammates who I’ll never just see as teammates, they’re truly my sisters on and off the court, and that makes this all even more special.”
Last year’s coach of the year became this year’s CCIW coaching staff of the year after the team claimed its first back-to-back title in program history. Head coach Kim Nelson-Brown and assistant coaches Tyler White, Tony Gliwa, Maggie Nelson, Ryan Raycraft and Nicole Bing Eichelberger helped the team secure their third conference title since 2021.
This title win helped move the team up a spot in the American Volleyball Coaches Association Poll. Now ranked third nationally, this volleyball team has earned their highest rating in program history.
The CCIW Setter of the Year award was earned by an IWU player for the first time since its creation three years ago. With Feeney’s help, the IWU offense led the nation in kills per set with IWU leading the conference in assists per set, and Feeney herself ranks seventh in the conference with the same stat and was named the CCIW Setter of the Week twice this season.
“While it is very gratifying to win this award, it just shows how incredible our defenders and hitters are,” Feeney said, “They are the ones getting the ball up for me to set, and the ones putting the ball away.”
After receiving the CCIW First-Year Student Athlete of the Year award in 2024, sophomore Bardouniotis earned the first all-conference honor of her career this year. Second on the team in kills per set, Bardouniotis was named the CCIW Hitter of the Week twice this season and was a vital component of the offense’s success.
“Receiving the first All-conference award of my career is an incredible honor,” Bardouniotis said, “but I couldn’t have done it without my coaches and teammates support and them constantly pushing me to be the best player and teammate that I can be!”
As the team gears up for tournament play, these awards have added more momentum to their already-strong season. “The team atmosphere has changed in the sense that we’re only hungrier to win,” said Bardouniotis.
With four of the award recipients being seniors, the team is leaving the program in good hands with younger players like Bardouniotis and O’Brian.
“I think the future’s really bright for this program. We’ve built such a strong culture, and the younger players have stepped up in big ways,” French said, “This season showed what we’re capable of, and I think it’s only going to keep growing from here.”
Bardouniotis, who already has a few awards to her name, will be one of the players to watch for the rest of her career. The sophomore said this year’s class of seniors helped to set her up for leadership in the next few years.
“The future of this program is bright, I mean we wouldn’t be where we are now without the competitiveness, work ethic, and leadership that the seniors this year have done an incredible job of promoting in our program,” Bardouniotis said.
