DECATUR, Ill. - The Elmhurst volleyball team kept its postseason hopes alive by scoring a four-set victory over Millikin University in a battle of top-25 teams.

Elmhurst, ranked 17th in the latest AVCA Division III poll, toppled Millikin (#23) 27-25, 25-23, 15-25, 25-23 to improve to 30-7 overall and 4-3 in the CCIW. With the win, the Bluejays move into a third-place tie in the CCIW standings. Elmhurst needs a North Central win over Illinois Wesleyan tomorrow in order to advance to the conference tournament and compete for the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. The Bluejays will find themselves on the outside of a three-team tiebreaker should Illinois Wesleyan defeat North Central tomorrow. If the Bluejays are unable to compete for the CCIW's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament, they'll have to hope for one of the tournament's at-large bids. The NCAA Tournament field will be announced on Monday, November 10. 

Elmhurst jumped out to an early 11-6 lead in the opening set before Millikin pulled even at 13-13. Elmhurst recaptured a three-point lead at 17-14, but Millikin answered back to knot the score at 20-all. The two teams traded points until Elmhurst grabbed a 24-22 lead on a Millikin error. The Big Blue fought off two set points to even the score at 24. A kill by Hannah Nimrick gave Elmhurst its third set point at 25-24, but Millikin used a Sara Travis kill to pull even at 25. A kill from Nimrick and a block from Melissa Nava allowed the Bluejays to put the opening set away.

Millikin raced out to an early six-point lead at 14-8 in the second set before Elmhurst mounted a late rally to steal the set. Elmhurst closed to within three points at 20-17, but a Bluejays' error gave Millikin a 23-19 lead. A pair of kills from Jackie Pavilonis and a Sam Szarmach kill brought Elmhurst to within a point. After a Millikin error evened the score at 23-23, Szarmach pounded down back-to-back kills to give Elmhurst the 25-23 win.

The Big Blue scored the first eight points in the third set and never looked back, cruising to the 25-15 win to slice Elmhurst's two-set lead in half.

Trailing 15-13 midway through the fourth set, Elmhurst ripped off a 5-0 run to take an 18-15 advantage. Millikin pulled to within a point at 20-19, but kills from Szarmach, Nimrick and Nava, combined with a Millikin error gave the Bluejays a 24-19 lead. Millikin fought off four straight match points to pull to within one before a kill from Szarmach sealed the win for the Bluejays.

Elmhurst hit .155 for the match with 50 kills and 28 errors in 142 attacks. The Bluejays dominated at the net with nine blocks. Millikin hit .222 for the contest with 53 kills and 25 errors in 126 swings.

Szarmach totaled 15 kills and 15 digs to lead the Bluejays. Nimrick added 13 kills and 28 assists while Pavilonis totaled nine kills and five blocks for the Bluejays.Peggy Clemens finished with a team-leading 22 digs while Amy Schryver added 21.

Audrey Krajec paced Millikin with 23 kills and 19 digs in the loss. Jade Becker added 13 kills while Alicia Thompson tallied 20 assists. Christina Capuani led the squad digs with 22.