Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College volleyball team participated in the 2024 Millikin Invitational, finishing with a win and a loss on the final day of the event. The Lady Blues secured a victory against Franklin College in three sets but were defeated by Hanover College.

The results from these matches bring the Lady Blues' season record to 6-8 as they prepare for upcoming conference play.

In their match against Franklin, Illinois College won decisively with scores of 25-21, 25-18, and 25-16. Ligaya Garibay led the team with an impressive performance, recording 16 kills and achieving a .464 hitting percentage. She also contributed 15 digs and four serving aces. Teammates Laura Kaiser and Ella Ausmus added a combined total of 15 kills. Kahli O'Neal provided 20 assists while Summer Brandis added another 18 assists. The team's defensive efforts limited Franklin to a .076 hitting percentage and only 16 kills across three sets.

In contrast, the match against Hanover ended in defeat for Illinois College with set scores of 22-25, 19-25, and 16-25. The Lady Blues struggled offensively, finishing with a .021 hitting percentage and committing 29 attacking errors. Riley Drake led her team in this match with eight kills and seven digs, while Ligaya Garibay added seven kills and ten digs. The significant number of attacking errors proved costly for Illinois College compared to Hanover's more efficient play.

Looking ahead, the Lady Blues will participate in one more tournament next week at the Rose-Hulman Tournament in Terre Haute, Indiana. They are scheduled to face the host team on Friday at 7:30 PM.