UNION, N.J. – The Illinois College volleyball team wrapped up its East Coast trip on Saturday with a pair of matches at Kean University. The Lady Blues went the distance in a five-set battle with Kean before falling in four sets to Misericordia later in the day.
Match 1: Kean 3 Illinois College 2
Illinois College dropped the first two sets against the host Cougars before rallying to even the match, forcing a decisive fifth set. Kean regained momentum late to take the match 3–2 (25–18, 25–16, 22–25, 23–25, 15–7).
Riley Drake and Delani Klaas each recorded 14 kills to pace the IC attack. Drake also added six digs and two aces, while Klaas hit .308 and tallied two blocks. Setter Kahli O'Neal distributed 23 assists, and Summer Brandis added 14 more.
Mady Salisbury anchored the back row with 18 digs, and Caidyn Tate led the blocking effort with five total.
Match 2: Misericordia 3 Illinois College 1
In their second match of the day, the Lady Blues fell to Misericordia 3–1 (25–18, 28–30, 25–19, 25–15). IC fought through a tight second set, pulling out a 30–28 win, but the Cougars' offense proved too much down the stretch.
Delani Klaas once again led the way with 10 kills, three service aces, and six digs. Laura Kaiser added five kills and a team-best four blocks, while Angelina Rogers chipped in six kills.
Summer Brandis and Kahli O'Neal combined for 27 assists, and Mady Salisbury collected a team-high 17 digs.
Up Next
The Lady Blues dive into Midwest Conference play as they host Ripon on Friday at 7:00pm and Lake Forest on Saturday for senior day at 1:00pm.
