SAINT LOUIS, Mo. – Behind a balanced attack and a rowdy Illini contingent in the stands, the Fighting Illini volleyball dominated Omaha, 3-0 (25-16, 25-9, 25-17), for their third-straight straight-sets victory in the opening match of the Billiken Invitational on Friday (Sept. 16) in Chaifetz Palivion.
"I thought we competed hard the whole time," said head coach Kevin Hambly. "I thought we showed them respect, but were playing hard the entire match. The first set I thought we were working our way into it. The second set I thought we really competed the way we wanted to compete and you know it is easy to let up on a team like this and just kind of relax and I thought we did the opposite. We just continued to focus on details and I thought we got better in this match."
The Illini (5-4) registered its highest hitting percentage of the season with a .458 clip as seven players hit at least .333, including five Illini that hit at least .500 in the match. Freshman Jacqueline Quade led the team with 12 kills on 19 swings and no errors for a .632 hitting percentage, while senior Naya Crittenden posted a career-best .700 hitting percentage after eight kills on 10 swings and only one error.
The Illini were fast out of the gate in the opening set as sophomore setter Jordyn Poulter recorded the first of eight Illini service aces for the 5-2 edge. The Mavericks closed within three points on three occasions, before five-straight points pushed the score to 16-9 following a Quade kill that was set up on a diving dig from senior Danielle Davis. After a kill off the Omaha block from senior Michelle Strizak made it 20-13, the Illini cruised to the first set win.
The Illini held just a two-point early in the second at 6-4, but a 10-0 run fueled by the serve of senior Allison Palmer propelled the Orange & Blue to a 16-4 lead. Palmer, who served nine of the 10 points, including an ace to cap the run, equaled a career-high with three aces in the match. Leading 18-6, the Illini then put the set out-of-reach with five-straight points to take a 2-0 lead in the contest.
The second-set momentum continued into the third as the Illini rattled off six-straight points to start things, with five coming on the serve of junior Brandi Donnelly. Back-to-back Crittenden kills pushed the lead to 11-2, but the Mavericks continued to battled and cut the score to 16-11 with a 5-1 run. The Illini answered right back with back-to-back kills from sophomore Ali Bastianelli and redshirt-freshman Beth Prince for the 18-11 advantage. The two teams then traded points before a Maverick attack error sealed the three-set victory.
Poulter, who quarterbacked the Illini offense, turned in 31 assists in the win, while also contributing four kills, three digs and three blocks.
As a team, the Illini outblocked Omaha, 9-3, with Bastianelli pacing UI with six blocks.
Defensively, Donnelly helped the Illini to outdig the Mavericks, 38-19, with a team-high 17 on the night as the Illini defense held Omaha to just a .068 hitting percentage.
Illinois returns to action in the Billiken Invitational on Saturday (Sept. 17) against Murray State at 10 a.m. CT, before facing host Saint Louis in the tournament finale at 7 p.m.
