DECATUR, Ill. - The CCIW Tournament kicked off Tuesday night at the Griswold Center as the #3 seed Big Blue faced the #6 seed Wheaton College Thunder in the first round of tournament play. Millikin would shut out Wheaton in three sets to advance to the second round of the playoffs where they will face Illinois Wesleyan University, who enter the tournament the #2 seed. 

The first set of the match saw the Thunder get on the board first on an Audrey Gerze kill, which would be the only time in the set that Wheaton would have a lead. Millikin would get two points right back and would hold the lead for the rest of the set, going on eight multi-point scoring runs to edge the Thunder 25-20. 

The Big Blue would take an early 3-0 lead in the second set of the night, but Wheaton would come back and tie the game at 5-5. Trailing 8-6, Millikin would score five straight to go ahead 11-8. Again, Wheaton would come right back at the Big Blue and go up 12-11. After more back and forth scoring in the game, Millikin found themselves down 21-18 and go on a four point run to take a 22-21 lead on the Thunder. Wheaton would tie the score again at 22-22 but Millikin would secure a 25-23 victory to go into the third set with a 2-0 lead. 

Millikin would win the third set by their largest point differential of the night, beating Wheaton 25-18. Wheaton would start the set scoring three quick points on the Big Blue, but Millikin would quickly tie the game at 3-3. Wheaton would stay neck and neck with the Big Blue, bringing the game to a 13-13 tie later in the set. Millikin would score four to take a 17-13 lead on the Thunder and would go on another three point run soon after to bring the score to 20-14 late in the game. The match would end on a Marissa McElroy kill assisted by Rose Syversen, advancing the Big Blue to the second round of the CCIW Tournament. 

Marissa McElroy lead the match in kills, posting 10 on the night for the Big Blue. Senior setter Rose Syversen lead the match with 26 assists for Millikin, and Julianna Vassallo  recorded 20 digs on defense. Millikin put up five service aces on Wheaton with two coming from Julianna Vassallo and one a piece for Tori Stuart, Rose Syversen and Alyssa Vignos. 

The Big Blue will play #2 seed Illinois Wesleyan University at the Shirk Center on Thursday night at 7:00 PM in Bloomington, Illinois.