Fighting Illini volleyball’s quest for a NCAA Title officially began on Saturday night with the annual Orange and Blue Scrimmage. ‘Orange Team’ — several of the players switched sides during the match — took home bragging rights with a 3-1 victory (25-20, 25-19, 13-25, 25-20) over their counterparts.
It was a fun night @ Huff as the #Illini took to the court for the Orange & Blue Scrimmage!https://t.co/9ZtORmpWUi pic.twitter.com/Zy0UWi8yvh
— Illini Volleyball (@IlliniVBall) August 21, 2016
Freshman outside Jacqueline Quade had a team-high 21 kills on the back of a .379 hitting percentage. Michelle Strizak (senior OH) also added 14 kills of her own, while Naya Crittenden (senior RS) and Katie Roustio (senior OH) each tallied 12 a piece. Junior libero Brandi Donnelly led the way defensively with 17 digs.
No. 14 Illinois will open their regular season on August 26 against Arkansas as part of the Illini Classic. The Orange and Blue are also scheduled to face Xavier and Missouri State at Huff Hall over the weekend.