EUGENE, Ore. – Freshman Jacqueline Quade registered her sixth-straight match with double-digit kills, but it was not enough as the No. 21 Fighting Illini volleyball team fell to Oregon in straight-sets (10-25, 18-25, 18-25) in the their opening match of the Nike Invitational on Friday (Sept. 9) night at Matthew Knight Arena.
Quade, who has posted double figure kills in all six collegiate matches she has played in for the Illini (2-4), notched 10 kills on 20 swings and only three errors for a .350 hitting percentage, while also adding five digs and two block assists.
It was all Oregon (5-2) in the opening set as the Ducks scored the first three points of the match en route to a 12-1 lead out of the gate. Following freshman Kaylin Korte's first collegiate kill in her first appearance for the Illini, the Ducks continued their momentum with five-straight points to build a 17-3 lead, before finishing off the opener, 25-10.
The Illini earned their first lead in a set in the second as another Oregon attack error put UI up 6-5. After four-straight Duck points put the Illini in a 9-6 hole, redshirt-freshman Beth Prince helped propel UI to an 11-10 lead on a kill and her first-career service. The Ducks answered back with an 8-3 run, including four-straight scores to take an 18-14 advantage in the frame. Both teams then traded the next several points, before a 5-1 run ended the second set in favor of the home team.
It was a back-and-forth start to the third with two teams knotted at 5-5, before seven unanswered points started an Oregon 9-1 run to put the Illini in a 14-6 hole. The Orange and Blue closed within four at 15-11 on a Quade kill, and a 20-16 on a kill from senior Naya Crittenden, but that would be also close as they would get as the Ducks took the set and the match.
Sophomore Jordyn Poulter paced the Illini with 23 assists on the night, while sophomore Ali Bastianelli added two block assists.
Junior Brandi Donnelly chipped in 16 digs in the setback.
As a team, the Illini posted a .063 hitting percentage to the Ducks' .358 mark, and were outblocked, 7-4, in the contest.
The Illini continues Nike Invitational play tomorrow, Saturday, Sept. 10, with matches against Belmont at 1 p.m. CT and Saint Mary's at 8 p.m.
