Sept. 6, 2002

Final Stats

Chicago, Ill. - Illinois' comeback bid fell a bit short tonight, as the 21st-ranked Fighting Illini volleyball team lost in five games to Loyola-Chicago in the Loyola Adidas Invitational. Illinois fell by the score of 27-30, 24-30, 30-21, 30-16, 7-15 in front of 580 fans at the Gentile Center in Chicago.

The Illini were outhustled early as they spotted the hosts a two-game lead heading into intermission. But after the break, the Orange and Blue responded by showcasing its most dominant play of the young 2002 season in routing the Ramblers in games three and four. The Illini hit a sizzling .452 in each game to force the fifth and deciding game.

But in game five it was all Loyola. The Illini fell behind early and made some costly errors, hitting .000 in the final game compared to Loyola's .462 hitting.

Illinois held the advantage in nearly every statistical category for the match, outhitting Loyola .282-to.158 and outblocking the Ramblers 8-4. The Illini also tallied more kills, assists and digs for the match. But one area were Illinois definitely struggled was with its serve, as the team committed 21 service errors, tying for the most in school history, with only six aces.

Junior outside hitter Melissa Vandrey played well despite the loss, hitting .321 from the left side with 13 kills. Senior right side hitter Sue Webber tallied a double-double with 15 kills and a match-high 13 digs, while sophomore outside hitter Jessica Belter registered a career-high 16 kills.

The Illini return to the court tomorrow, taking on the Northern Illinois Huskies at 1 p.m. in Chicago.