Michigan
11-8, 3-7Big Ten
Illinois
12-4, 8-2Big Ten
Michigan Volleyball Falls to Illinois in Four Games
10/23/1999 12:00:00 AM | Volleyball
Site:Â Champaign, Ill. (Huff Hall)
Result:Â #20 Illinois 3, Michigan 1 (15-7, 7-15, 15-5, 15-4)
Records:Â U-M (11-8, 3-7 Big Ten), Illinois (12-4, 8-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match:Â Friday, Oct. 29 -- at Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), 7 p.m. CDT
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- The University of Michigan volleyball squad completed the first half of the Big Ten Conference season Saturday (Oct. 23) with a road loss to No. 20 Illinois, falling in four games (15-7, 7-15, 15-5, 15-4). Despite the loss, Wolverine junior middle blocker Joanna Fielder (Costa Mesa, Calif./Newport Harbor HS) compiled seven kills to give her an even 500 kills for her career.
Game one was indicative of the entire match as Illinois was paced by its attackers. Michigan sided out well early in game one but could not keep pace with Illinois at the net as the Fighting Illini hit at a clip of .318 (18-4-44) while Michigan hit .122 (15-9-49). Illinois rode its hot hitting to a 15-7 win and a one-game lead in the match.
The Wolverines, however, found an answer in game two as junior outside hitter Sarah Behnke (Baroda, Mich./Lakeshore HS) found her groove on the way to a team-high 19 kills. Behnke hooked up often with sophomore setter Shannon Melka (Wheaton, Ill./St. Francis HS) as Michigan returned the favor with a game-two hitting percentage of .324 (18-5-38). Michigan's defense also picked it up by limiting Illinois to hitting percentage of .163 (15-8-43). As a result, the Maize and Blue found itself with a 15-7 game-two win, which knotted the match at a game apiece.
Games three and four returned the format of the first game as Michigan registered 19 kills while Illinois compiled 28 on its way to 15-5 and 15-4 wins, respectively. The key to the match was Illinois' hitting percentage of .457 (28-2-57) in games three and four combined, which allowed it to pull away from the Wolverines.
In addition to Behnke's team-leading 19 kills, sophomore outside hitter Nicole Kacor (Chicago, Ill./Mother McAuley HS) registered her 11th double-double in kills (10) and digs (15) of the season.
Michigan closes out a four-match road trip next weekend at Iowa on Friday, Oct. 29 (7 p.m. CDT) and at Minnesota on Saturday, Oct. 30 (7 p.m. CDT). Those two matches mark the beginning of Michigan's second and final trip through Big Ten in 1999.
MATCH BESTS
Kills: U-M 52 (Sarah Behnke 19); Illinois 61 (Betsy Spicer 16)
Assists: U-M 49 (Shannon Melka 43); Illinois 59 (Melissa Beitz 53)
Service Aces: U-M 4 (Nicole Kacor 2); Illinois 6 (Spicer 3)
Digs: U-M 51 (Kacor 15); Illinois 58 (Sara Sorrell 18)
Blocks: U-M 5 (Three players with 2); Illinois 11.5 (Lydia Gard 6)
NOTES
• Michigan's hitting percentage of .342 (18-5-38) in game two was its highest for one game vs. a Big Ten team in 1999.
• Sarah Behnke has recorded double-digit kills in eight of her last nine matches.
• In 12 matches this year vs. 1998 NCAA Tournament teams, Michigan has a record of 6-6.
