Olympic Sports Update (Oct. 10 - Oct. 17)

Soccer (5-11 overall, 2-5 Big Ten)

The Fighting Illini soccer team fell back into a losing streak this week after dropping two-straight matches to Wisconsin and Minnesota.

The first game against Wisconsin was a close one, seeing most of its action in the midfield. It wasn’t until the 87th minute that the Badgers netted the game winner, but Illinois did hold Wisconsin to its second-lowest number of shots this season.

Reigning Big Ten champion Minnesota showed the Illini why they’re one of the top teams in the county. Despite outshooting the Golden Gophers 5-3, the Illini headed into halftime down by one. Minnesota came out composed and hungry to score in the second half. The team netted three goals in the final 13 minutes of play to claim a 4-0 victory and move to 10-3-3 overall on the season.

Next Week’s Schedule

10/21 - @ Michigan

Volleyball (15-4 overall, 6-2 Big Ten)

Illinois volleyball demonstrated this past week why its the best team on campus. The Fighting Illini squad battled Ohio State and Maryland this past week picking up two easy victories. Per usual, junior Ali Bastianelli led the team as she picked up double-digit kills in both matches. Freshman Megan Cooney also had two strong performances, with 11 kills and one block in against Ohio State and eight kills against Maryland.

The Fighting Illini now find themselves ranked for the first time this season, sitting at No. 19 in the nation.

Next Week’s Schedule:

10/20 - @ Iowa

10/21 - @ Nebraska