Nov. 4, 2000

Box Score

Ann Arbor, Mich. - Never in Don Hardin's 13 years as a head coach has he had a team as plagued by injuries as this year's beleaguered Illinois volleyball team. The old saying goes, "When it rains it pours," so it should come as no surprise that the Illini were once again faced with adversity due to an injury moments before its match against Michigan Saturday night in Ann Arbor.

In the last warm-up drill before the match, junior defensive specialist Sarah Pomeroy collided with Anne Koester while going up for a block. Pomeroy landed wrong on her left ankle, spraining it severely and forcing the Illini to change its lineup just before game time.

Senior back up setter Heather Wilson replaced Pomeroy in the back row and Hardin rearranged the serve-receive patterns to suit his new lineup. The Illini fought valiantly in games one and two, but eventually fell to the Wolverines in three games by the score of 10-15, 14-16, 6-15.

Illinois fought back from an 11-2 deficit in game one to make things interesting, then jumped all over the Wolverines in game two, enjoying leads of 11-3 and 14-6. Despite multiple chances, Illinois could not serve game point, and the Wolverines chipped away at the margin, eventually running off 10 straight points for the comeback win. UM closed things out in game three behind .340 hitting as a team.

Junior Shadia Haddad and senior Betsy Spicer led Illinois. Haddad had a double-double with 15 kills and tied her career high with 18 digs. Spicer, meanwhile, hit just .235 for the match, but also registered a double-double with 14 kills and 16 digs.

Illinois moves to 12-13 overall on the season and 3-11 in the Big Ten. The team returns to Champaign to host Minnesota and Iowa next weekend. Both matches are slated for 7 p.m. at Huff Hall.