NASHVILLE – Illinois closed out the Lippy Invite with a five-set triumph over Lipscomb on Saturday night.
The Fighting Illini finished the non-conference slate at 8-2 while the Bisons dropped to 3-8.
As a team, the Orange and Blue posted 54 kills and a .271 hitting percentage. The squad added 58 digs, 49 assists, 12 blocks and nine service aces.
Raina Terry led the way with 23 kills and five aces in the match. Christina Martinez Mundo logged a season-high 26 digs while Cari Bohm and Laynie Smith amassed six blocks each.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening frame went back-and-forth with the Illini clinging to the 15-12 advantage at the media break. Averie Hernandez added back-to-back aces following the timeout, extending the five-point Orange and Blue lead. Three-straight including an ace from Terry resulted in the Bisons taking their final timeout with the Illini ahead, 22-16. A kill from Hernandez got the team to set point and a Lipscomb service error gave Illinois the 25-17 triumph in the first set.
The teams kept the second frame close, but a Lipscomb 4-0 rally resulted in an Illinois timeout with the Illini trailing 14-11. The Illini chipped away at the Bisons’ lead, and Terry’s third ace of the day helped a 3-0 rally that tied the knotted the frame at 21. However, the Illini could not retake the lead, falling 25-22.
With the match locked at a set apiece, back-to-back errors for Illinois gave the Bisons the 14-10 edge. The Fighting Illini cut the…
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