Women's Volleyball 11/20/2025 10:54:00 PM Courtesy of Asbury Athletics

Asbury Comes up Short to No. 1 Illinois Wesleyan in First NCAA Tournament Appearance

WILMORE, Ky. --- The No. 8 seed Asbury volleyball team (22-8, 15-1 CCS) competed in their first-ever NCAA Tournament on Thursday night in Bloomington, Ill., falling in the opening round to the No. 1 seed host of the Regional, Illinois Wesleyan University (27-2, 8-0 CCIW), 3-0.

The opening set showcased the competitive spirit of Asbury, with the score reaching a close 17-16 before Illinois Wesleyan pulled away to secure a 25-18 victory. The second set continued to test Asbury's resilience; however, Illinois Wesleyan maintained their momentum to win 25-17. In the third and final set, Illinois Wesleyan played their best volleyball of the night, concluding the set at 25-14 and wrapping up the match.

Key players for Asbury included sophomore Sophie Glushchak, who led the team with eight kills and tied with her sophomoe teammate Abigail Bruner for the most blocks at two each. AU sophomore Isabelle VandeSchraaf had seven kills and topped the chart with two service aces.

In the defensive department, senior Riley McChord impressed with a commendable 19 digs in her final match as an Asbury Eagle. Assist leaders were Sara Beth Gray with 13 and Lucy Kate Gray, who not only aided with five assists but also delivered six digs and an ace.

This match marked Asbury volleyball's first-ever appearance in the NCAA Division III Tournament. Though the season concluded with this match, ending the team's campaign at an impressive 22-8 overall and 15-1 CCS record, the achievement of reaching the tournament through a Collegiate Conference of the South (CCS) Championship highlighted a milestone season for the Eagles in their fourth year under the leadership of head coach Tiffany Horton.

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