Volleyball struggles past Illini Hoosiers

By MATT WONG
Collegian Staff Writer

Weeks before its match against the No. 1 Penn State women's volleyball team, Illinois coach Don Hardin predicted his team would prevail.

Whether it was a way to inspire his team, or plain stupidity, Hardin was wrong, as the Lady Lions disposed of another Big Ten team.

The Lions (24-1, 14-0) continued their dominance in the conference, distancing themselves from the rest of the competition and emerging still unscathed in their latest test on the road.

The Lions breezed by Indiana (15-6, 15-2, and 15-2) Friday and came out on top against Illinois (15-6, 15-13, 6-15, and 15-8) Saturday in what was one of the Lions' toughest matches of the season since their loss in the first game.

Penn State coach Russ Rose said he was pleased with his team's performance against Indiana, as the Lions hit .330 for the match, holding the Hoosiers to a measly .019 hitting percentage.

"The key was we came out and established control early, and we maintained our composure," Rose said.

Against Illinois, the victory wasn't as easy.

In a match that lasted more than two hours, the Fighting Illlini battled hard in front of their 3,083 fans at Huff Hall.

Although the Lions came out victorious, senior Lauren Cacciamani said they came out flat against an intense Illinois team.

"We didn't play our best game," she said. "When it comes down to it, you have to be ready to play. There are no excuses. I couldn't honestly say that one person played great."

However, co-captains Bonnie Bremner and Cacciamani continued to carry the Lions. Cacciamani, a middle hitter, coming off Big Ten Player of the Week honors, led the Lions with a game-high 20 kills, 10 blocks and 12 digs. Setter Bremner led the team with 55 assists along with eight kills, hitting an efficient .615 for the match.

Penn State outside hitters Amanda Rome and Katie Schumacher also contributed huge numbers. Rome tallied nine kills, a game-high 18 digs and five blocks, while Schumacher added 18 kills and four blocks.

Despite the loss for the Fighting Illini, Hardin said he was still pleased with their performance against the favored Lions.

"I'm proud of the effort and focus we had, we hung in there and battled for every point," Hardin said in a press release. "Now what we have to do is make sure this level of volleyball continues."

Rose said he also was impressed at Illinois hard play and even though he felt his team could've played better, he was still happy with the outcome.

"I was pleased that we were able to come out with the win not playing as sharp as we can," Rose said. "Hopefully, this will get the players attention and they'll recognize the need to prepare each day."

The Lions will prepare for Michigan and Michigan State this week, as the two teams invade Rec Hall this Friday and Saturday, respectively.