JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – The Illinois College volleyball team wrapped up a competitive day on their home court Saturday, taking on Monmouth College in a Midwest Conference matchup before facing off against Wisconsin-Platteville in non-conference play. Despite strong efforts throughout both contests, the Lady Blues came up just short, falling in five sets to Monmouth and in straight sets to Platteville.
The loss to Monmouth marked Illinois College's first setback in Midwest Conference play, moving the team to 9-16 overall and 4-1 in conference action.
Match 1: Monmouth 3 Illinois College 2
The Lady Blues opened the day with an intense five-set battle, narrowly dropping their first conference match of the season to Monmouth by scores of 25-20, 17-25, 23-25, 25-20, and 13-15.
Delani Klaas paced the offense with 16 kills and added a block assist for 18 total points. Haylie Orton was a force on both sides of the net with 10 kills, six service aces, and two blocks, finishing with 17 points.
Riley Drake chipped in 14 kills and 10 digs, while setters Summer Brandis and Kahli O'Neal combined for 51 assists and 23 digs to run the offense efficiently. Libero Mady Salisbury anchored the defense with 24 digs and two aces.
Match 2: Wis.-Platteville 3 Illinois College 0
In the afternoon matchup, the Lady Blues fought hard but fell to Wisconsin-Platteville in straight sets, 25-27, 18-25, and 22-25.
Freshman Angelina Rogers led the attack with 10 kills and a .273 hitting percentage, followed by Riley Drake with eight kills and four aces.
Orton continued her solid day with seven kills, two blocks, and a .600 hitting mark, while Brandis dished out 14 assists and added 15 digs. Salisbury tallied 14 digs to lead the defense once again.
Up Next
The Lady Blues are on the road for the remainder of the season as they travel to Pella, Iowa for the Central Tri taking on Simpson and Central on Tuesday, October 28th at 4:00pm and 6:00pm.
