Nov. 13, 1999

CHAMPAIGN, Ill.--The Illini made quick work of the visiting Northwestern, defeating the Wildcats in straight games, 15-2, 15-10, 15-8, in front of 1,644 fans Saturday night at Huff Hall. Illinois' winning streak is now two in a row as the team stands 14-8 overall and 10-6 in Big Ten play on the season.

Illinois jumped out all over Northwestern in the first game, limiting NU to just two points. It was much the same in games two and three, as the Illini overpowered their visitors.

"We passed the ball very well tonight, so that allowed for some pretty good numbers offensively," Hardin said of his team's .385 hitting percentage on the night. "At the same time our blocking was excellent, which really gave Northwestern fits."

Northwestern hit just .152 in the match. The Illini outblocked NU 13-1 over the three games. Leading the front row defense was sophomore middle blocker Lydia Gard. Gard had 10 block assists, and also did the job offensively, with a team-high 11 kills.

"Lydia really came in with a good performance tonight," Hardin said. "The sound of the ball hitting her hand and the ball hitting the floor was exactly the same. She had some pretty powerful kills."

Middle blocker Betsy Spicer and senior outside hitter Sara Sorrell also tallied 11 kills a piece, to tie Gard for game-high honors. Senior outside hitter Tracey Marshall also had one of her best performances of the season, with a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs. Marshall had just two errors in 21 attempts, for an attack percentage of .381.

Illinois takes to the road next week for matches at Michigan on Friday night and at Michigan State on Saturday evening. Both matches start at 6 p.m. central time.