Sept. 10, 2005
Box Score
Las Vegas, Nev. -
The Fighting Illini finished the UNLV Classic on a high note as they defeated Rutgers in three games (30-18, 30-27, 30-23) on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Led by the arm of senior Rachel VanMeter, the Illini gained early leads in the first two games but allowed Rutgers to stay close towards the end of each game.
VanMeter finished the day with 18 kills and an attack percentage of .400. The dynamic duo of sophomore's Kayani Turner and Vicki Brown added an offensive push tallying 13 and 10 kills, respectively.
Sophomore Stephanie Obermeier played an aggressive three games and allowed the offensive attack to happen with 45 assists.
The Orange and Blue ran all over Rutgers in the early portion of game one going up 9-2. However, a 7-0 run by the Knights allowed Rutgers to get back in the game. With several dominant kills by Turner (6), the Illini went on a 7-0 run of their own and finished the Knights off by a score of 30-18.
The second game was very similar to the first with the Illini taking an early 10-3 lead. Once again, Rutgers kept their composure and pushed all the way to the very end of the game. The score came as close as 28-27, but VanMeter put an end to their comeback with two powerful kills to lengthen the lead and win the game 30-27.
A very different Illini team came out in the third and final game of the match. Silly defensive errors and missed opportunities to capitalize on Rutger's mistakes kept Illinois from pulling away from the Knights.
It was not until the scoreboard read 23-23 that Illinois took over the match. VanMeter heated up and put three kills down on the Knights in the final six points. Illinois beat the Knights by a score of 30-23.
The Fighting Illini are now 8-1 on the season. They return to action when they host the State Farm Illini Classic in Huff Hall beginning Friday, Sept. 16. Illinois begins their Big Ten schedule the following weekend when they travel to Penn State and Ohio State on Sept. 23 and 24.
