Press Release Courtesy: Illinois Athletics
| Rutgers & Penn State | |
|---|---|
| Match 30: Rutgers |
Friday, Nov. 25, 2016 | 6 p.m. CT | Piscataway, N.J. | College Ave. Gym Video: BTN Plus | Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats |
| Match 31: No. 15 Penn State |
Saturday, Nov. 26, 2016 | 6 p.m. CT | University Park, Pa. | Rec Hall Video: BTN Plus | Radio: WDWS 1400 | Livestats |
| Full Match Notes | Illinois | Rutgers | Penn State | Big Ten |
| Statistics | Illinois (16-13) | Rutgers (4-27) | Penn State (20-9) |
| Series History | Rutgers: Illinois leads 6-1 | Last: Illinois won, 3-0, on Sept. 24, 2016 | Streak: W6 | Results Penn State: Illinois trails 10-42 | Last: Penn State won, 3-1, on Oct. 9, 2015 | Streak: L1 | Result |
| Tickets | Rutgers | Penn State |
| Social Media | @IlliniVball  | #Illini | Fac | @IlliniVBall  | YouTu
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ILLINI VS. THE FIELD
The Fighting Illini volleyball team will finish up the 2016 regular season on the road this weekend, first heading to Piscataway, N.J., to take on Rutgers on Friday (Nov. 25), before traveling to University Park, Pa., to face No. 15 Penn State on Saturday (Nov. 26) in the regular season finale.
The Illini own a 6-1 mark against the Scarlet Knights, having won six-straight since dropping the first-ever contest between the two schools back in 1981. Illinois took a 3-0 win over RU in the two teams’ earlier meeting this season, as freshman Jacqueline Quade paced the Illini with 12 kills on the night, while senior Naya Crittenden collected 11 on 20 swings and only two errors for a .450 hitting percentage. Senior Michelle Strizak also added her third-career double-double with 10 kills and 10 digs.
Illinois trails in the all-time series with the Nittany Lions, 10-42, and dropped the only meeting between the two schools a season ago, 3-1, on Oct. 9, 2015. In that match, Strizak finished with a career-high and led all players with 22 kills on 52 attacks and hitting .308 in the match.
The Illini’s last win in University Park was in 2014, when the Illini earned a 3-1 win over the No. 5 team in the country.
LAST TIME OUT
The Illinois volleyball broke out of their slump in a big way, sweeping the weekend with wins over Maryland on Friday and then sending off the 2016 seniors with a final victory in Huff Hall on Saturday night in a 3-1 win over then-No. 24 Ohio State.
Against the Terps, senior Michelle Strizak paced the Illini with a match-high 14 kills to go along with nine digs, while Stadick was efficient with 11 kills on 15 attacks and only one error for a .667 hitting percentage, equaling her season high.
Sophomore Jordyn Poulter turned in her second double-double of the season and the 10th of her career with 37 assists, match-high 12 digs and four blocks. Classmate Ali Bastianelliwas in control at the net with a match-high nine blocks and added nine kills on 16 swings and only two errors for a .438 hitting percentage.
The Illini dominated play at the net against Ohio State, outblocking the Buckeyes, 15 to eight, with Bastianelli leading the way with 12 stuffs on the night. Poulter added eight blocks to go along with 37 assists and Strizak registered her sixth career double-double with a match-high 17 kills, 10 digs and five blocks.
BASTIANELLI NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE POW
Sophomore Ali Bastianelli earned her second career Big Ten Conference Defensive Player of the Week honor and first of the season after totaling 21 blocks to average 3.00 blocks per set in wins over Maryland and No. 24 Ohio State over the weekend. Along with her defensive prowess, Bastianelli added 15 kills and a team-high .444 hitting percentage in the two wins.
Bastianelli started off the week with nine blocks and nine kills on 16 swings and only two errors for a .438 hitting percentage against the Terps, before continuing her strong play against the Buckeyes on Saturday night by registering 12 stuffs to go along with six kills and a .455 hitting clip.
ILLINOIS IN THE NCAA RANKINGS
As a team, the Illini rank in the top 20 in the NCAA in total blocks and blocks per set, with UI coming in at ninth in blocks per set with a 2.89 average. The Illini sit 16th in the nation with 303 total blocks. The Illini also rank 59th in the NCAA with a .245 hitting percentage.
BLOCKIN’ BASTIANELLI
Sophomore Ali Bastianelli has quickly become one of the premier blockers in the NCAA and continues to lead the nation with 1.81 blocks per set and 190 total blocks on the season.
Bastianelli is the leader in the Big Ten Conference in both blocks per set and total blocks in overall play, while also pacing the league in conference matches as well with 118 total blocks and a 1.82 blocks per set average.
POULTER DIRECTING TRAFFIC
Sophomore Jordyn Poulter has orchestrated the Illini offense to a .245 hitting percentage, while also ranking seventh in the conference and 53rd in the NCAA with a 10.59 assists per set average and is also 66th in the nation with 1,112 total assists on the season.
In Big Ten action, Poulter sits sixth with a 10.86 assists per set mark.
Poulter also sits second on the team with 104 total blocks and ranks in a tie for 11th in Big Ten play with 1.00 blocks per set average.
DIGGIN’ DONNELLY
Junior libero Brandi Donnelly paces the Illini defense and the conference in both overall and league play with 4.48 digs per set in all matches and a 4.68 average in Big Ten contests.
She leads the conference with 470 total digs in overall action and 304 digs in Big Ten play.
Nationally, Donnelly ranks 98th in digs per set and is 115th in total digs.
ILLINI IN B1G RANKINGS
As a team, the Illini pace the Big Ten in blocks per set in overall play with a 2.89 blocks per set average and are second in conference action with a 2.82 average.
UI also ranks fifth in opponent hitting percentage (.189) in overall play and is second in conference action (.192). In Big Ten action, the Illini rank fourth with 13.92 digs per set.
Individually, senior Michelle Strizak also ranks 14th with 2.96 kills per set in overall play and seventh with 3.20 kills per set in Big Ten action.
HAMBLY’S 100TH CAREER BIG TEN WIN
Friday night’s straight-sets win over Maryland marked Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly‘s 100th career Big Ten Conference win. In his eight years at the helm of the Illini volleyball program, Hambly has amassed a 101-57 record in the league and an overall mark of 177-85.
DONNELLY TOP THREE IN CAREER DIGS
Junior Brandi Donnelly has been a consistent defensive force in her libero position for the Illini during her three seasons in the Orange and Blue and ranks third all-time with 1,575 career digs in just 355 sets, trailing only Ashley Edinger (1,921 in 423 sets) and Jennifer Beltran (2,220 in 510 sets).
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