By: Illinois College made the clutch plays when it mattered to sweep visiting Monmouth, 3-0.
Box Score JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College volleyball team came up big play after big play on Tuesday night, sweeping the Monmouth Scots in three sets (25-23, 25-22, 25-20). The Lady Blues scored the last two points of the first set after it was tied at 23-23, then came from behind in both the second and third sets to secure their first Midwest Conference victory of the season. IC improves to 7-10 (1-3 MWC).
Holly Crocher was once again integral for Illinois College. The senior middle blocker hit .556 in the match with 10 kills, two solo blocks and two block assists.
Lisa Lowry had nine kills and two solo blocks as well.
The largest lead for either team in the first set came for Illinois College with a score of 10-7. Monmouth quickly regrouped and the score would be tied eight times from that point on. The last tie came for the Scots after Quincy Merritt laid down a kill to make it 23-23. Though Monmouth had the serve, an error followed by an attack error gave the final two points to the Lady Blues for a 1-0 lead.
Illinois College struggled out of the gates in the second set and fell behind 5-0. A Merritt service error opened the doors for the Lady Blues to rattle off six straight points however, giving IC an 8-7 edge and forcing Monmouth into a timeout. Though momentum was on IC's side for a time, the Scots managed to keep it close and a Merritt kill sliced the Illinois College lead to 23-22. Two important kills from Lowry and
Courtney Louveau followed for the Lady Blues, giving them the set.
Monmouth again stormed out to a lead in the third set, going up 4-0. Again, down 7-2, Illinois College scored six straight to take an 8-7 advantage on the Scots. Monmouth regained a 14-12 lead but the Lady Blues scored five straight points, with Lowry supplying two of the kills in that span to take a 17-14 lead. Monmouth was able to pull within one point at 20-19, but two Crocher kills helped IC regain a comfortable margin and Lowry ended it with a solo block of a Merritt attack.
Louveau led the Lady Blues with 18 assists in the match and had a solid all-around performance with seven kills and nine digs.
Allison Perkins led IC with 16 digs and
Eve Bahler produced a double-double of 11 assists and 10 digs.
Brenna Garland was solid defensively as well with 12 digs.
Illinois College returns to Sherman Gymnasium on Oct. 9 for another MWC match, hosting Beloit College at 7 p.m.
