Sept. 22, 1999

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The 25th ranked University of Illinois volleyball team started off the conference season on the right foot, defeating rival Indiana in three straight games, 15-10, 15-13, 15-12, Wednesday night in front of 1,606 fans at Huff Hall.

Indiana came into the match with an undefeated record of 9-0, but the Illini controlled the Hoosiers throughout the match, behind the inspiring play from middle blocker Lydia Gard. Gard tallied 16 kills for the match and finished with a hearty .448 attack percentage. She only had three errors in 29 attempts. Gard's 16 kills are a career high.

"I have to give a lot of credit to my teammates, they made it easy," Gard said following the match. "I think this last week our attitude has been great. We've worked hard and stayed focused, and that's the reason we were able to win tonight."

It took a total team effort to take down the Hoosiers, and that's what Illinois provided. Along with Gard, Shadia Haddad (13 kills and eight blocks), Sara Sorrell (12 kills and seven digs), Betsy Spicer (10 kills and six blocks), and Tracey Marshall (eight kills and a game high 12 digs) pitched in to give the hosts a powerful, balanced attack.

"It's important to protect your home turf, especially in Big Ten play," head coach Don Hardin said. "So this is a great victory. Indiana's a strong opponent, and to win the match the way we did is says a lot about our club."

Illinois has now won five straight matches, improving to 5-2 on the season, and 1-0 in conference play. Next up for the Illini is a road match against Northwestern at 7 pm on Friday, September 24.