IOWA CITY, Iowa – The No. 5 Illinois volleyball team wrapped up play at the Big Ten/Pac-12 Challenge, falling to Colorado in three sets (28-30, 19-25, 20-25) on Saturday (September 7) afternoon in Carver-Hawkeye Arena.

The Illini (2-2) were led offensively by Jacqueline Quade with 15 kills on a .364 hitting percentage to go along with a team-high three blocks, while junior Megan Cooney posted nine kills on a .400 clip and senior Ashlyn Fleming added eight kills as well as team-leading three blocks.

Redshirt-freshman Diana Brown handed out 30 assists and a team-high six digs, while leading the Illini to a .330 team hitting percentage.

Battling back from an early set one deficit, the Illini used an 11-3 run to tie things up at 21-21 and registered the first set point at 24-23 following a Quade kill. The Buffaloes (5-0) answered back to earn five set points, with UI fighting off the first four before UC converted the fifth on a service ace.

The Buffs then opened the second by scoring the first four points of the set en route to taking the second, 25-19, before finishing off the match with a 25-20 win in the third.  

The Illini continue nonconference action at the Redbird Classic in Normal, Ill., on September 13-14. The Illini will take on the host Redbirds on Friday night at 7 p.m. CT, before facing off against UCF at 10 a.m., and No. 11 Marquette at 7:30 p.m., on Saturday.

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