ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Seniors Michelle Strizak and Naya Crittenden each registered double-digit kills, but the Fighting Illini volleyball team dropped a four-set match (25-23, 25-23, 21-25, 22-25) to No. 17 Michigan on Friday (Nov. 4) night at Cliff Keen Arena.
The Illini fall to 14-10 on the season and 7-6 in the Big Ten Conference, while the Wolverines move to 19-6 and 8-5 in the league standings.
Strizak led the Illini with a match-high 17 kills on 40 swings and only five errors for a .300 hitting percentage to go along with nine digs and three blocks, while Crittenden added 13 kills on the night.
After an ace from senior McKenna Kelsay, who earned her first-career start as an Illini in the match, started the night, the Illini jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead. The Illini would push the advantage to 16-9 with a Crittenden kill and looked to take the opening set in dominating fashion as a Wolverine service error made it 22-16 in favor of the visitors. Michigan responded with a 7-1 run to knot the score at 23-23, but back-to-back kills from senior Katie Stadick and Strizak put the Illini up 1-0 in the match.
It was a back-and-forth affair in the second as neither team grabbed more than a two-point lead until the Wolverines pulled ahead at 13-10, but three-straight Illini points tied things up at 13-13. With the set all square at 19-19, UM put together three-straight points for a 22-19 advantage. The Illini again answered back to even the set at 22-22 on a block from Strizak and sophomore Ali Bastianelli, but the Wolverines then took three of the next four points to tie the match at 1-1.
Following an early 4-4 tie in the third, the Wolverines raced ahead to a 14-6 edge midway through stanza. Down, but not out, the Illini rallied to knot the score at 18-18 with an 8-2 run – including four-straight points and capped the run with back-to-back blocks. With the set tied at 21-21 after trading points, the Wolverines took the momentum back with four-straight points and a 2-1 advantage in the match.
The Illini responded with a fast start in the fourth to take a 6-1 edge – including four points on the serve of senior Danielle Davis – but a 7-2 run from the home team evened things at 8-8. From there it was a battle as neither team held more than a three-point lead throughout the remainder of the set. As the period entered its ninth and final tie at 22-22, a Carly Skjodt kill followed by back-to-back service aces propelled the Wolverines to the 3-1 victory.
As a team, the Illini bested the Wolverines with a .221 hitting percentage to UM's .186 clip, while also outblocking the home team, 10-12. Bastianelli paced the Illini block with nine stuffs and added nine kills in the loss.
Sophomore Jordyn Poulter quarterbacked the Illini offense with 44 assists, while also contributing five blocks.
Junior Brandi Donnelly totaled a team-high 18 digs, with senior McKenna Kelsay, who earned her first-career start as an Illini, smashing previous career-high with 10 digs on the night.
Illinois will wrap up its four-match road swing with a trip to East Lansing, Mich., on Saturday (Nov. 5), taking on No. 16 Michigan State in a 5:30 p.m. CT match that can be seen on BTN Plus.
