Nov. 24, 2000

Box Score

Champaign, IL - The University of Illinois volleyball team played tough, but was defeated by the #8 Penn State at Huff Hall on Friday night. Before a crowd of 1,170, Illinois (13-17, 4-15 in the Big Ten) fell to the Nittany Lions 10-15, 5-15, 7-15.

Junior outside hitter Shadia Haddad led the Illini with 14 kills, recording a solid .323 attack percentage. Senior middle blocker Betsy Spicer played superb, registering 10 kills, hitting an incredible .444, Spicer also contributed a team-high nine digs, falling just one dig shy of a double-double.

Illinois came out strong, leading Penn State 10-7 in the first match, before PSU rallied with eight unanswered points for the10-15 win. The Nittany Lions' attack percentage of .343 was too much for the injury-riddled Illini to overcome, as the Illini hit .191 as a team.

"We played pretty well," Head Coach Don Hardin said. "We hit well when we passed the ball well. When things break down though, we don't have a lot of options.

"I though the seniors gave a great effort and brought a great attitude. This season has been incredibly challenging, but the team has given a great effort thought all of it."

Illinois plays their final match of the season tomorrow at 7:00 p.m. at Huff Hall, as they host the Indiana Hoosiers. It will be senior night with the duo of Spicer and Heather Wilson playing their final match of their collegiate careers.