Miami Ohio University Athletics
Miami University
University of Illinois
No. 16 Illinois Defeats Miami in Three Games
9/10/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Sept. 10, 2004
CHAMPAIGN, Ill.--In its first game at the State Farm Illini Classic, Miami University's volleyball team fell in three games to No. 16 Illinois, 20-30, 25-30 and 24-30. Miami drops to 1-3 on the season, while Illinois improves 4-0.
Plagued by a .080 hitting percentage, Miami dropped the first game of the match 20-30. The RedHawks found themselves at an early deficit, trailing 4-1, but two kills from senior outside hitter Angie Zent (Fort Wayne, Ind./Northrop) and a kill by freshman outside hitter Jeanna Staun (Loveland, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) knotted the game, 4-4. Again Miami trailed the Illini, this time by a six-point margin, 6-12. A pair of kills by redshirt freshman middle hitter Kate Norris (Indianapolis, Ind./Bishop Chatard) and a solo block by Zent pulled the RedHawks within one, 13-14. From there, Illinois outscored the RedHawks 16-7 to win the first game, 30-20.
In the second game, Miami trailed by as many as 12 points, 10-22. Two kills apiece from freshman outside hitter Carli Reihman (Cincinnati, Ohio/Ursuline Academy) and Staun and a service ace by Staun helped pull the RedHawks within five, 21-26, but the deficit was too much to overcome as Illinois claimed the second game, 30-25. Staun tallied four kills for the RedHawks in the second game, while junior libero Suzy Wolford (Batavia, Ill./Batavia) served up two of Miami's five aces for the game.
Despite a four-point deficit early in the third game, 7-11, a pair of kills by Zent and Slusser and ace from senior outside hitter Tara Buroker (Bluffton, Ohio/Bluffton) and a powerful block by the Slusser/Staun tandem evaporated the Illini advantage and handed Miami a 16-12 edge. Illinois came back to even the game, 17-17, and eventually posted a 21-18 advantage. The Illini, however, went on to take the third game by a score of 30-24. Wolford stepped into the setter position for the RedHawks in the third game.
Staun paced the RedHawks with 10 kills and a .471 hitting percentage.
