NEW BRUNSWICK, N.J. – The Illinois volleyball team needed just an hour and 15 minutes to put together a straight-sets (25-11, 25, 16, 25-18) victory over Rutgers on Sunday (October 1) morning in College Avenue Gym.
Juniors Beth Prince and Ali Bastianelli paced the Illini (12-3, 3-1) with Prince totaling nine kills and Bastianelli turning in nine on a .583 hitting percentage to go along with three blocks.
As a team, the Illini served up a season-high nine aces, with freshman Morgan O'Brien leading the way with three on the day, while junior Jordyn Poulter and sophomore Annika Gereau each added two.
It was a quick start for the Illini as back-to-back service aces from O'Brien propelled the Illini to a 7-1 lead. Six-straight points from the visitors – including a block from Poulter and Bastianelli and a service ace from sophomore Jacqueline Quade – pushed the edge to it largest of the set at 17-3. Three-straight points from brought Rutgers within 19-9, but a kill from freshman Kylie Kuyava-DeBerg ended the rally, before she finished the set with another kill for the 25-11 set one win.
After a side-out start to the second had the Illini leading 5-4, Prince and Poulter combined for a 7-0 run with five Prince kills and a pair of aces from the UI setter for a 12-4 edge. The Scarlet Knights closed with 17-9, but back-to-back Prince kills pushed the lead back to 10 at 19-9. Again RU answered back with a 6-2 run to cut the lead to six at 21-15, but the Illini ended the set by taking the last four of five points for a 25-16 set victory and a 2-0 lead heading into the break.
It was a side-out start for both teams in the start of the third, but the Illini pushed their one point advantage out to 11-5 on a solo stuff from junior Blayke Hranicka, following by an ace from senior Brandi Donnelly. The Knights closed to within four at 17-13 with a 3-1 mini run, but a Bastianelli kill combined with a Gereau ace slowed the RU rally. A kill from freshman Marikye Van Dyke set up match point at 24 -15 and after the Knights fought off three of them, Prince finished off the win with a kill.
The Illini posted a team hitting percentage of .394 – including recording marks of .438 and .440 in the first and second sets, respectively. Poulter notched 24 assists in the process to go along with five digs.
Donnelly led the Illini with seven digs, while Hranicka also added three blocks in the win.
After opening Big Ten Conference action with a four-match road swing, the Illini return home for four-straight contests in Huff Hall. The homestand starts off against No. 19 Purdue for the Annual IlliNOISE Night promotion on Friday (October 6), before taking on Indiana for Season Ticket Holders' Bring a Friend Night on Saturday (October 7). Both matches are set for 7 p.m. CT.
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