CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois came up short against #15 Penn State at Huff Hall on Friday night, falling in straight sets at home.
The Orange and Blue dropped to 6-7 overall and 1-2 in Big Ten play, while the Nittany Lions improved to 9-3 overall and 3-0 in conference action.
The Illini totaled 10 blocks in the loss, their eighth match with double-digit stuffs. Cari Bohm led the way with six total blocks, her fifth outing with at least six, while Kennedy Collins, Jessica Nunge, and Raina Terry all recorded multiple blocks.
Illinois finished the night with 32 kills while hitting .120 as a team. Collins and Kayla Burbage each registered a team-high eight kills in the defeat.
Vanessa Pan secured a season-high 14 digs, with the Illini notching 45 digs, their most in a three-set match this year.
How it happened
Penn State opened the contest with three-straight points, though Illinois eventually tied the set at 10 apiece following a 4-1 Illini run. An 8-1 Nittany Lion stretch pushed the visitors ahead midway through the set and forced an Illinois timeout, but the Orange and Blue fought back with a run of their own. Illinois cut its deficit to three late in the frame and fought off two set points, but Penn State secured the 25-22 first-set victory.
The Nittany Lions took an early edge in the second set, but a 3-0 Illini run capped off by a Brooke Mosher ace knotted the frame at 9-9. A 4-0 Penn State run then forced an Illinois timeout with the Orange and Blue trailing by four. Back-to-back blocks from Bohm fueled a 3-0 Illini run late in the frame, but the Nittany Lions pulled away late to take a 2-0 lead with a 25-20 second-set win.
Illinois took a quick 4-1 advantage in the third set, but Penn State bounced back with a 5-1 run of its own to take an early 7-6 lead. A second 5-1 Nittany Lion stretch pushed the visitors’ edge to four points and forced an Illini timeout. Penn State extended its lead to as many as seven, but a 3-0 Illinois run forced Penn State to call a late timeout. The Nittany Lions eventually took the third set by a score line of 25-20 to secure the victory.
Up Next
Illinois returns to Huff Hall on Saturday night to cap off its three-match home stand with a showdown against Iowa at 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.
Notes
– Starters: Brooke Mosher, Raina Terry, Kayla Burbage, Kennedy Collins,
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