Champaign, Ill. - The Fighting Illini women's gymnastics team are home for the second time this season to face No. 8 Michigan at Huff Hall Sunday at 11 am.

This meet was rescheduled after being postponed early this month and after Illinois meet with Michigan State, scheduled for this Sunday at 1 pm was postponed.

The Illini are looking for their first every win against Michigan.

The last time out

Fighting Illini women's gymnastics put up another season high today. They beat Penn State 196.300 – 195.275. 

Illinois started the meet on bars where they scored a season-high 49.125. Senior Nicole Biondi, sophomore Mia Takekawa and freshman Kaitlyn Ewald each scored a 9.875 and took a share of the event title with Alissa Bonsall of Penn State. After the first rotation the Illini lead 49.175-48.500. On vault, Illinois scored a 48.775. Arayah Simons won the event title, scoring a 9.825. Biondi finished third on the event with a 9.775.

The Illini continued the season consistency on floor, scoring a season-best 49.250 on the event. Arayah Simons scored a career-best 9.950 on the event and won her second event title of the day. Junior Shaylah Scott finished second on the event with a 9.900. The Orange and Blue beam team finished the day with a 49.100. Takekawa finished the event for Illinois and captured the second outright event title for Illinois.

Nicole Biondi competed on all four events, scoring a 39.350 in the Illini's first All-Around of the season. She beat Penn State's Cassidy Rushlow who put up a 38.475.

In The Rankings

Illinois is ranked No. 20 in the country for a third straight week. They started the season at No. 22 in the WCGA Preseason Coaches' poll. The Illini were the fourth-highest ranked Big Ten team and one of nine Big Ten teams ranked in the top-36 programs.

Illinois is ranked in the top 15 nationally in two events. They are 10th on beam and 11th on floor. On vault they are ranked No. 28 on bars and No. 34 on vault.

After putting up a 9.950, the second best score in program history against Penn State, sophomore Arayah Simons is ranked T-2nd on floor nationally. Junior Shaylah Scott is T-30th in the nation on floor, she averages 9.8 on the event this season.