Indiana University Athletics
Hoosiers Head to Champaign
9/24/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
September 24, 2004
Illinois Match Notes
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- For its second match of the Big Ten season, the Indiana volleyball team heads to Champaign, Ill., for a battle with the 13th-ranked Fighting Illini of Illinois on Saturday, Sept. 25, at 7 p.m.
IU is 6-6 overall and 0-1 in Big Ten play, while Illinois enters the Big Ten season with an 8-1 mark. Indiana opened its Big Ten season at Purdue on Wednesday, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Boilermakers.
Last weekend, in Indiana's match against Kent State (9/17) at the TIS Bookstore Invitational, senior outside hitter Christina Archibald etched her name into the Hoosier record book. Archibald drilled 26 kills, breaking former Hoosier standout Melissa Brewer's mark of 1,547. The Belleville, Ill., native added 16 kills later that night against Pittsburgh and added 10 kills at Purdue (9/22) to push her career total to 1,574. Archibald currently leads the team with 187 kills and a 4.07 kills per game average.
Illinois opens the weekend hosting Purdue on Friday, Sept. 24, before facing off against the Hoosiers on Saturday. The Illini hold a 3-0 record at home this season.
U of I was ranked No. 9 in last week's poll after snapping USC's 52-match winning streak (the longest streak in NCAA history). The Fighting Illini knocked off the Trojans, 30-24, 24-30, 12-30, 30-27, 15-8, on Sept. 11 in Champaign. Last week, the Illini fell to Loyola in five games and went on to run off three straight victories against Ball State (3-1), Houston (3-0), and at Arkansas (3-1) to claim the championship at the C&C Services Invitational in Fayetteville, Ark.
Three Ilini earned individual recognition in the Invitational. Junior Rasa Virsilaite was named the MVP after totaling 59 kills and 43 digs. Senior Jessica Belter and junior Rachel VanMeter joined Virsilaite with all-tournament honors.
