JACKSONVILLE, Ill.- The Illinois College volleyball team opened the season by hosting the Lady Blue Invitational on Friday and Saturday in Sherman Gymnasium, welcoming Rose-Hulman, Eureka, Augustana, and North Central. The Lady Blues took the court twice on Saturday, falling to Augustana in the morning before bouncing back with a four-set win over North Central in the afternoon.
Match 1: Augustana 3 IC 0
The Lady Blues started quickly in the opening frame, taking an early 4-0 lead before the Vikings rallied back to even the score. Augustana used a late push to close out the set and carried that momentum into the second. IC battled back-and-forth early in the third and tied the score midway through, but the Vikings answered with a run to hold off the Lady Blues and complete the sweep.
Delani Klaas led the IC attack with eight kills, while
Riley Drake chipped in four kills and a service ace.
Summer Brandis dished out 14 assists to go along with 11 digs, and
Mady Salisbury anchored the defense with a team-high 14 digs.
Match 2: IC 3 North Central 1
IC set the tone early, edging out a tight first set 25-22 behind timely kills from
Riley Drake and
Delani Klaas. The Lady Blues carried that momentum into the second set, where strong serving from
Reagan Oster as Brandis spread the ball effectively, IC closed strong to secure the 25-20 win.
North Central rallied to take the third, but Illinois College regrouped in the fourth with big swings from Klaas and
Laura Kaiser, along with key defensive plays from libero
Mady Salisbury, to finish off the match 25-21.
Drake led IC with 13 kills and 11 digs for a double-double, while Klaas added 12 kills on a .296 hitting percentage. Kaiser chipped in seven kills and two blocks at the net, and Salisbury paced the defense with 13 digs. Brandis and
Kahli O'Neal combined for 35 assists to guide the offense.
Up Next
The Lady Blues hit the road next weekend as they head to Milwaukee for the Wisconsin Lutheran Quad starting Friday afternoon as they take on Loras College at 4:00pm.
Â
