Sept. 9, 2000

Box Score

Chicago, IL - The Illini volleyball team had its winning streak halted at three games after dropping the final match of the Loyola Invitational Tournament to the host Ramblers in five games by the score of 7-15, 15-8, 11-15, 15-8, 12-15 Saturday night in Chicago.

The Illini started the match sluggishly, dropping games one and three and having to come back from behind in game two. However, Illinois seemed to gain momentum as the match wore on, handling Loyola in game four to force a fifth game. In the rally game, the Illini found themselves behind by scores of 7-10, and 10-13, and couldn't complete the comeback, falling in the deciding game.

"This was somewhat disappointing in that we didn't come here tonight and play our best ball," Head Coach Don Hardin said. "The Louisville match took a lot out of us, but that can't be an excuse. It took a while for us to start clicking, and you can't have those lapses against a quality opponent.

"But this weekend was a good experience for us, we've really grown a lot as a team on these road trips," Hardin continued. "Now we're looking forward to coming back to Champaign and playing in front of our fans after eight matches on the road in eight days."

Illinois, which played so well in an afternoon victory over Louisville, struggled offensively against the Ramblers, hitting just .194 for the match compared to Loyola's .266. Senior middle blocker Betsy Spicer led the way with another impressive performance, registering team highs with 20 kills and 17 digs, while hitting .459. Sophomore Sue Webber also had a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs, and sophomore Anne Koester chipped in with 12 kills. Meanwhile, junior Amber Lindner recorded a new career high with five service aces.

Illinois had two players named to the all-tournament team in Spicer and junior outside hitter Shadia Haddad.

Illinois next plays in its home opener Tuesday night against in-state rival DePaul. The match begins at 7:00 p.m. at Huff Hall.