Volleyball Recap: Illini West Takes Loss Despite Strong Performances from Kennedy Artman and Ava Shutwell

Illini West entered their matchup against Quincy Notre Dame on Thursday without any home losses, but there's a first time for everything. The Chargers fell just short of the Raiders by a score of 2-1. The result was an unpleasant reminder to the Chargers of the 2-0 defeat they experienced in the pair's previous head-to-head fixture back in October of 2024.

Illini West started the match hot and won the first set, but they struggled down the stretch and lost the last two. The final score came out to 26-28, 25-9, 25-17.

Ava Shutwell and Kennedy Artman certainly did their best on Thursday to avoid the loss. Shutwell had 12 digs, while Artman had five digs and three assists.

Quincy Notre Dame was led to victory by Sophia White and Joselyn Boyer. White had 12 digs and nine assists, while Boyer had 11 digs and two assists. That's the most digs Boyer has posted over her last nine matches. Addie Flesch also deserves some recognition as she had her first block of the season.

Illini West's loss dropped their record down to 11-7. As for Quincy Notre Dame, the win (which was their fifth in a row) raised their record to 13-4.

Both teams will have to hit the road in their upcoming contests. Illini West will head out to challenge Liberty at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. As for Quincy Notre Dame, they will challenge Camp Point Central at 7:00 p.m. on Monday.