Sangamon Sun

The Illinois College Lady Blues volleyball team maintained their unbeaten record in Midwest Conference play with a 3–2 victory over Grinnell College on Tuesday night at Sherman Gymnasium. The match scores were 18–25, 25–19, 22–25, 27–25, and 17–15.

With this win, the Lady Blues improved to a season record of 9-14 and remain undefeated in conference play at 4-0. Grinnell College now holds a record of 9-12 overall and is 3-1 in conference matches.

Illinois College overcame an initial setback in the first set but responded effectively in the second set. Haylie Orton and Delani Klaas contributed significantly at the net. Mady Salisbury provided strong defense and key service plays that shifted momentum for the Lady Blues.

Grinnell won the third set despite a late effort from Illinois College. In the fourth set, Orton and Riley Drake led a rally that allowed Illinois College to recover from multiple match points before securing the set at 27–25.

The fifth set was closely contested until Klaas and Orton delivered decisive plays toward the end. Summer Brandis managed the offense with control as Illinois College resisted a late run by Grinnell to secure a 17–15 win.

Statistical leaders for Illinois College included Orton with 14 kills and six blocks; Klaas with 15 kills and three aces; Drake with 13 kills and four aces; Brandis with 34 assists and 13 digs; and Salisbury with 19 digs.

The Lady Blues will next host Monmouth for a Midwest Conference match at noon, followed by UW-Platteville for a non-conference game at 4:00 p.m., both part of Alumni Day events.