SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Illinois volleyball fell in straight sets to Oklahoma to close out its run at the Irish Invitational at Purcell Pavilion on Friday night.
The Fighting Illini dropped to 4-3 on the season, while the Sooners improved to 5-1 this year.
As a team, Illinois logged 34 kills and a .180 hitting percentage. Individually, Raina Terry paced the Fighting Illini with 16 kills and four blocks. Brooke Mosher led the way with 27 assists, while Lily Barry tallied a team-high eight digs.
How it happened
Illinois fell behind, 18-11, to open the match following a 7-0 run by the Sooners. Three-straight Illini errors led to the Orange and Blue, burning its final timeout of the set, trailing OU, 22-13. The deficit was too large to overcome, leading to the 25-16 loss in the opening frame.
Looking to rebound in the second set, Illinois took an early 10-7 lead following a 4-0 rally that included a pair of aces from Kennedy Collins. Oklahoma did not go away quietly, and back-to-back points for OU led to an Illini timeout with the Orange and Blue trailing, 20-17. A kill from Terry fended off the Sooner set point, but Illinois dropped the second set, 25-22.
The Fighting Illini continued to struggle in the third set, falling behind, 12-7, before calling a timeout. The opposition continued to stymie Illinois with the Illini calling their final timeout trailing, 17-9. Despite Terry recording three-straight kills to fend off match point, Illinois fell to OU in the final set, 25-20.
Up Next
Illinois remains on the road for a match at Bradley on Tuesday. First serve on ESPN+ is slated for 6 p.m. CT.
Notes
- Starters: Brooke Mosher, Raina Terry, Sarah Bingham, Kennedy Collins, Vanessa Pan, Cari Bohm and Lily Barry
- The Illini wore long-sleeved white jerseys, moving to 0-2 while donning those.
- The Illinois volleyball program moved to 1-2 all-time against Oklahoma.
- The Orange and Blue dropped to 1-2 in three-set matches.
- Attendance Friday night was called at 121.
