Sept. 12, 2009
Box Score
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -
Illinois State (4-5) lost its second-straight match to a nationally-ranked opponent, falling to No. 14 Illinois (5-1), 3-0 (18-25, 11-25, 16-25) in the State Farm Illini Challenge Saturday morning. Big Illinois runs and inconsistent offense plagued the Redbirds.
Junior Mallory Leggett led the Redbirds with 13 kills, her seventh match this season with double-digit kills, and nine digs. Junior Katie Culbertson had five kills, just one attack error and two block assists. Sophomore Kristin Stauter had 17 set-assists.
"Mallory had a great match, one of the best I have ever seen her play, but we didn't really have anyone else support her effort offensively," said head coach Melissa Myers. "I have to give credit to Illinois, a very good team with strong hitters that really got into a groove as the match went on."
ISU had a .113 hitting percentage in the match and had just 16 kills combined over the last two sets. Illinois had 48 kills and a .330 hitting percentage. Laura DeBruler led the Fighting Illini with a match-high 16 kills and Kylie McCulley added 13. The win was Illinois' 19th in the last 20 meetings with Illinois State.
Illinois' first nine points in the opening set came on kills to build a 9-4 lead. ISU went on a 5-1 run, with three different players recording kills, to pull within a point, 10-9. Back-to-back Leggett kills capped a 4-1 Redbird run that tied the set at 16. Illinois came right back with eight-unanswered points, six on kills, and won the first set, 25-18. The Fighting Illini had 19 kills in the first set.
ISU held a one-point edge at the start of the second set, but errors gave Illinois four of its first five points. After a Leggett kill brought the `Birds within a point, 7-6, Illinois went on a 7-1 run, highlighted by three blocks, to double up the score, 14-7. Illinois State had consecutive points for the first time in the set to make the score 18-10. Illinois closed out the set with another 7-1 run, collecting six kills. ISU had just six kills in the second set, five of which came in the first six Redbird points.
The kills continued for the Fighting Illini in the third set, with seven in the first 10 points. Down 12-4, Leggett tried to bring the Redbirds back with three points during a 4-1 run. The Redbirds came within three points a couple of times, but could not come any closer. Illinois closed out the set and the match with its third 7-1 run.
Illinois State closes out the State Farm Illini Classic against Cincinnati at 4:30 p.m.
