WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Despite a two-set lead and 20 kills from redshirt-senior Jocelynn Birks, the No. 18 Illinois volleyball team dropped a heartbreaking five-set match to No. 19 Purdue, 3-2 (24-26, 22-25, 25-22, 25-22, 15-11) at Holloway Gymnasium on Sunday afternoon.
The Illini fall to 13-8 and 4-6 in the Big Ten, while the Boilermakers improve to 17-4 on the season and 8-2 in the conference.
"It was a classic Purdue and Illinois battle as well as two teams hitting around zero one set and then going .300," said head coach Kevin Hambly. "It's kind of how it has been for us. Sometimes we get loose offensively and sometimes we struggle and the same for them, but it was a battle. I thought the kids fought hard, just didn't execute at the key moments. That is the disappointing thing, especially in the end; hitting negative in the fifth, it's tough to win."
A Naya Crittenden kill opened the match as the Illini scored the opening set's first two points. Following a 4-4 tie, Purdue used a mini 5-1 run to take a 9-5 lead, before pushing it out to 16-7. For the second-straight match, senior setter Alexis Viliunas entered midway through the first set with the Illini trailing by nine at 17-8. Viliunas would again mount the comeback as the Orange and Blue cut the decifit to two at 22-20 with a 11-5 spurred by four Birks kills and two Illini blocks. After trading points, the Boilermakers earned the first set point at 24-22, but four-straight Illini points sealed the 26-24 win.
In a tight second set, neither team owned more than a three point lead until the home team sprinted ahead 12-8, but the Illini continued to battle and evened the score at 13-13. Trailing by three at 19-16, Illinois again knotted the set at 21-21 before scoring the next four and five points to take set two, 25-22.
Illinois jumped out quickly in the third with first three points of the set, before the Boilermakers evened things up at 5-5. Following another tie at 10-10, Purdue used a 7-2 run to build a 17-12 edge. The Illini rallied to even the set at 19-19, but three-straight Boilermaker points gave the home team the momentum late in the period. Down by three at 23-20, the Illini could not recover as Purdue took the third, 25-22.
The two teams traded points in a back and forth fourth set as the Illini looked to close things out leading 18-17, but an 8-4 run by the home team completed the Purdue comeback at 25-22 and forced a fifth and final set.
In the decisive fifth set, the Boilermakers used their momentum to jump out a quick 4-0 lead before a Birks kill put the Illini on the board. Trailing throughout the set, UI came within 10-7, but back-to-back Purdue points gave the home team the 12-7 advantage. Out of a timeout, Illinois closed within 12-10 with three-straight points that included a Crittenden kill and block. Following a Purdue timeout, the Boilermakers took the set and the match with three of the next four points as a Sam Epenesa kill sealed the victory.
Birks registered her fourth 20-kill match of the season and the 31st of her career, while Katie Roustio supplied a spark off the bench with 10 kills on 24 swings for a .208 hitting percentage.
Brandi Donnelly led the squad with 14 digs in the match, with Viliunas posting a season-high 11 digs to go along with 38 assists. Donnelly also tied a career high with three service aces as the Illini netted six aces on the day.
Ali Bastianelli had a career day at the net with a career-high eight blocks assists, while Birks and Katie Stadick also contributed four each.
Illinois returns to Huff Hall next weekend to host Michigan State on Friday, Oct. 30 and Michigan on Saturday, Oct. 31. Both matches are slated to start at 7 p.m. CT on BTN Plus. Â
