Fighting Illini Edged at Minnesota

MINNEAPOLIS – Illinois volleyball fell to Minnesota at Maturi Pavilion on Friday night in straight sets.

With the loss, the Fighting Illini dropped to 16-13 this year with an 11-8 record in Big Ten play. The Golden Gophers, who received votes in the lated American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, improved to 16-11 this season with a 12-7 league mark.

Raina Terry led the way offensively, tallying a match-high 18 kills. Brooke Mosher recorded 27 assists and was a dig shy of a double-double. At the net, Cari Bohm paced the squad with five blocks. Caroline Barnes logged 22 digs, just the seventh time in her career the junior has posted 20 or more digs.

How it happened

The Fighting Illini got off to a slow start, allowing the Gophers to score the first five points of the match. Struggles continued for the Orange and Blue, with Minnesota posting a 3-0 run, putting the Illini behind, 12-5, before Illinois called for a timeout. A 3-0 rally that included an ace from Barnes helped the Orange and Blue come within a pair, leading to Minnesota’s first timeout of the frame with the Illini trailing, 15-13. Back and forth, the teams battled with Terry leveling the set at 17 with an ace, but a 3-0 turn for Minnesota led to the Illini’s final break of the set, down 20-17. The deficit proved to be too much for Illinois to overcome as the team fell, 25-20, in the opening frame.

In a set that included 10 ties and four lead changes, Minnesota…