BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The University of Chicago volleyball team split day two at the Illinois Wesleyan Tournament. The Maroons mounted a dramatic five-set comeback to defeat Earlham College in the morning match before falling in straight sets to a sharp No.19 Illinois Wesleyan squad in the afternoon.
UChicago 3, Earlham 2 (26-28, 18-25, 25-19, 25-23, 16-14)
Facing an early deficit, the Maroons showcased poise and perseverance to rally from two sets down and claim a thrilling five-set victory over Earlham. After dropping the first two sets, UChicago regrouped behind a balanced attack and an energized defense to take the final three sets.
Senior outside hitter Diya Mishra led the charge with a tying her career- high 23 kills, while Olivia Ip added 14 kills. Setter Ellie Maxwell paced the offense with 22 assists and contributed 7 aces and 12 digs.
Defensively, Thalita Marangon was everywhere, recording a match-high 30 digs, and Olivia Zamis anchored the block with 5 rejections. The Maroons finished with 11 service aces and 86 digs, sealing the match with cluch back-to-back kills by Mishra and forcing a Quaker error
Match 2: Illinois Wesleyan 3, UChicago 0 (28-26, 25-19, 25-21)
In their second match of the day, UChicago battled host #19 Illinois Wesleyan, but ultimately fell in a closely contested straight-set match. The Maroons held together a scappy effort but could find an offensive groove.
Mishra once again led the offense with 11 kills, and Ip followed with 9, while Marangon chipped in 5 kills and 3 aces. Senior libero Klaudia Barbarossa tallied 15 digs, and Grace Xu posted a double-double with 12 assists and 11 digs.
Although UChicago hit just .119 overall, they showed improvements in the third set and stayed competitive in the stat sheet across kills, digs, and blocks.
With her outstanding performance on the weekend, Diya Mishra was named to the 2025 IWU All-Tournament Team. Standout freshman Ellie Maxwell also received All-Tournament Team honors.
Chicago will head home with a 2-1 record on the weekend and gear up to host the Rosalie Resch Invitational next weekend. Their first game will be another Top 25 matchup as they'll take on #22 UW- Eau Claire Friday night at 7 p.m.
