SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Behind double-digit kill outings from sophomore Jacqueline Quade and freshman Megan Cooney, the Illinois volleyball team opened the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational with a 3-1 (25-14, 25-27, 25-16, 25-11) win over Chattanooga on Friday (September 15) afternoon at the Hammons Student Center.
Quade paced the Illini (7-2) with 12 kills to go along with a career-high six blocks and eight digs, while Cooney impressed with 10 kills on a .562 hitting percentage.
The Illini tied their season-high with eight service aces as junior Blayke Hranicka equaled her career-high with four, sophomore Annika Gereau notched a pair of aces and junior Brandi Donnelly and sophomore Caroline Welsh each added one.
After a kill from junior Ali Bastianelli opened the match, the Mocs (7-6) stayed within two at 7-5, but eight-straight points, including six on the serve of Gereau, put the Illini in control at 15-5. From there, Chattanooga did not get closer than 16-8 with a number of Illini newcomers seeing action with the comfortable lead. A UTC service error finished off the first set win for Illinois at 25-14.
It was a much more competitive second set as an early 4-1 Illini lead turned into a 6-6 tie, but a 7-2 run – aided by back-to-back Hranicka aces – propelled UI to a 13-8 advantage. A Quade kill stretched the lead to 18-11, but the Mocs responded with a 9-3 run to pull within two at 23-21 and then fended off three Illini set points to knot the score at 24-24. A UTC ace then evened the match at 1-1 with a 27-25 set two win for the Mocs.
Out of the break, the Illini jumped out to a 7-2 lead on a UTC attack error, before pushing their advantage to 17-7 on an 8-2 run behind strong serving from Gereau and senior Brandi Donnelly. The two teams then traded points as the Illini grabbed a 2-1 edge with a 25-16 set three victory.
Looking to finish the Mocs in four, the Illini once again started strong as a pair of Hranicka aces helped UI to a 7-1 edge. Six-straight points – including five on the serve of Welsh – gave the Illini control with a 13-3 edge midway through the period. Three-straight Moc points cut the lead to seven at 14-7, but that would be as close as they would get as the Illini closed out the 3-1 win with six-straight points for the 25-11 fourth set victory.
As a team, the Illini registered a .307 hitting percentage, while holding the Mocs to a .098 attack percentage, the fifth time this season UI has help its opponent to a sub-.100 hitting percentage.
Junior Jordyn Poulter totaled 45 assists in the win, while also contributing six kills on a .857 hitting percentage, five blocks and five digs.
Donnelly led the team with a match-high 19 digs.
The Illini continued their streak of out-blocking their foe, 12 to six, with Bastianelli leading the way with eight stuffs on the night.
The Illini finish up action at the Dr. Mary Jo Wynn Invitational on Saturday, September 16 with matches against Tennessee State at 9:30 a.m. CT and host Missouri State at 1:30 p.m.
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