Champaign, Ill. – No. 8 Illinois volleyball opened day two of the Illini Classic with a swift 3-0 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, cruising to a 25-11, 25-18, 25-22 win over the RedHawks. The win was the Illini's second straight in three sets (2-0), while Miami falls to 0-2 on the year.
Freshman Jordyn Poulter guided the Illini to a .414 hitting percentage in the match, as the Illini offense made just two attack errors in the first two sets combined.
"To do that against a team that's a pretty good defensive team, that just shows that the connection (between Poulter and Birks) was better," said head coach Kevin Hambly. "And, the chain of pass-set-hit was better than it was last night. We're going to need that, and I think we could be a pretty offensive team if we get it clicking. I think Jordyn was just calmer."
Jocelynn Birks was at the top of her game, crushing 16 kills and hitting a career-high .500 (16-2-28), while adding five digs and a block.
"It was about the connection," said Hambly. "We didn't have much time to work on things and they worked on it as the match went on. I thought Jocelyn did a really nice job on the ones that were off and did a better job of managing those, not trying to do too much. But, when they were there she put them away. "
Katie Stadick was next on the Illini with nine kills, hitting .471, with a match-high four blocks, while Katie Roustio tallied eight kills (.353) over the final two sets.
"I thought Roustio did a nice job attacking," said Hambly. "I thought she was moving the ball around, got in a good tempo, and she looked like what we expect. I think we're going to need her throughout the year and I thought she was great."
Michelle Strizak went 5-for-9 from the outside in the first set before being replaced by Roustio, and Naya Crittenden put up five kills and two blocks over the final two sets.
Poulter notched the first double-double of her career with 34 assists and 10 digs, while libero Brandi Donnelly led the match with 11 digs, and Ali Stark totaled seven to go with three kills.
The Illini cruised to victory in the first set, hitting .600 with 18 kills and no errors to top Miami 25-11. Poulter spread the ball around, as Strizak and Birks each had five kills in the frame and Stadick tallied four with two blocks.
Miami regrouped for set two, but Illinois' efficient attack continued, as pins Birks, Crittenden and Roustio combined for 13 kills with no errors to head to the break up two sets to none with a 25-18 victory in set two.
The RedHawks put up a fight in set three, coming back from down 19-12 to pull within two late, 23-21, on a kill by Jenny Ingle. However, just as the Illini demonstrated three times on Friday night, the Orange and Blue stayed poised down the stretch, and Roustio buried one in the back court to close out the match, 25-22, and claim the Illini's second-straight sweep.
Illinois returns to the court tonight at 7:30 p.m. for the conclusion of the Illini Classic, when the Orange and Blue host Creighton, who was receiving votes in the AVCA Preseason Poll.
