Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College volleyball team began their regular season with two victories at their home tournament in Sherman Gymnasium, Jacksonville, Illinois. The Lady Blues secured a 3-0 win against Blackburn and a 3-2 victory over Adrian on Saturday.

In the first match, Illinois College triumphed over Blackburn with scores of 25-14, 25-12, and a close 25-22 in the third set. This marked head coach Claire Sully's first collegiate win. Senior Ligaya Garibay made an impressive start to her season with nine kills and ten total points. Teammates Laura Kaiser and Riley Drake contributed significantly with a combined total of 15 kills. Abby Buchanan-Kenzinger delivered four aces, while senior setter Summer Brandis provided 18 assists.

The second match saw Illinois College face Adrian in a challenging contest. After winning the first set 25-17, Adrian took the next two sets. However, the Lady Blues managed to tie the fourth set at 24 before securing it and ultimately winning the deciding fifth set. Garibay continued her strong performance with 15 kills. Kaiser added another 12 kills along with four block points, and Brandis supplied an additional 25 assists. Drake achieved a match-high six aces.

Looking ahead, the Lady Blues will be traveling for the next two weeks starting with a game against Westminster in Fulton, Missouri on Tuesday at 7:00 p.m.