Olympic Sports Update: Sept. 19-25

Soccer (3-9 overall, 0-4 Big Ten)

The Illinois Fighting Illini soccer team took on two Big Ten opponents this past week and dropped both contests to make it an 0-4 start in conference play. In the first game at Illinois Soccer Stadium, Maryland paid a visit and the two teams battled to find the back of the net. The two teams each missed out on several scoring opportunities throughout the game, but Maryland tallied 10 shots on goal compared to Illinois’ five. It wasn’t until the 83rd minute that the game saw its first — and only — goal, thanks to Maryland senior Kate Waters.

Two days later Illinois attempted to bounce back against No. 13 Rutgers. The game saw its first goal about mid-way through the second half when Rutgers took a 1-0 lead. However, it didn’t take long for the Illini to tie the game with a goal from junior Katie Murray. Illinois was the first team to score a goal on Rutgers this season. The game headed into overtime, but it wasn’t there for long as the Scarlet Knights scored the game winner in the 93rd minute.

Next Week’s Schedule:

9/28 - @ Purdue

10/1 - @ Indiana

Volleyball (11-2 overall, 2-0 Big Ten)

Illinois is undefeated once again, but this time just in Big Ten play. Conference matches began this past week for the Fighting Illini as they headed on the road for two games. The first match against Indiana was a quick one for the Illini, whose closest set came in the first, a 25-23 victory. From there it was smooth sailing as they won three straight behind sophomore Jacqueline Quade’s match-high 13 kills.

In Illinois’ second match of the week, it took on the Wildcats of Northwestern, where once again they picked up an easy sweep. The entire match was almost identical to the Indiana outing as Jacqueline Quade put on another strong performance with a match-high 10 kills this time.

Next Week’s Schedule:

9/29 - @ Penn State

10/1 - @ Rutgers