The Monmouth College volleyball team lost a crucial Midwest Conference match at home on Wednesday night against Illinois College. With a 25-18, 25-19, 21-25, 25-22 loss, The Scots are now 8-11 on the season, 1-4 in MWC action as IC improved to 8-14 overall 3-1 in conference.
The Scots got off to a quick start with three kills from senior Amanda Dybal (Apex, North Carolina) to build a 6-3 lead. The Lady Blues pulled even and the teams traded points until IC led 9-7. The visitors pushed the first set lead to 14-10 when the Scots called timeout. IC pushed the lead to 17-11 before another kill from Dybal put the Scots back on serve. The Scots got the lead down to four but IC extended it to 22-16 and Monmouth took a second timeout. The Lady Blues won the next two points and while Monmouth got two back, they dropped the set 25-18.
The second set was tight early with nine ties and neither team leading by more than two until IC went on top 14-11. Down 16-13, the Scots won three straight points to pull even and force an IC timeout. Down 20-17 the Scots got a kill from Dybal but IC was able to side out to go back on top by three. With IC on set point at 24-19, the Scots called timeout but the Lady Blues took the set with a kill.
Monmouth got three straight kills from Kenzie Russell (Morton, Illinois) to take a 5-3 lead in the third set. The teams traded points until a kill by Dybal put the Scots up 8-5. Monmouth pushed the lead to four at 10-6 and maintained between a two and four point lead until Layne Wright (Davenport, Iowa) made it 19-14 with a kill. IC took a timeout down six at 21-15. IC got to within three but that was as close as they made the set with Russell’s kill making it 25-21.
Both teams led early in the fourth set with multiple ties. IC won three straight points to go up 13-10 before the Scots won four straight. IC regained the lead at 15-14 and pushed the lead back up to three. Monmouth called timeout, trailing 21-18 but IC won the next two points. An error gave the Scots a side out and a kill by Russell cut the IC lead to 23-20. A kill gave IC match point but the Scots answered with two straight points, trailing 24-22. But that was as close as the hosts got with IC winning on their third match point.
Russell led the Scots with 17 kills in the match while Dybal had 16. Paige Bergschneider (Alexander, Illinois) had 47 assists and Sarah LaHood (East Peoria, Illinois) had two aces. Four Scots had at least 17 digs, led by Savannah Robinson (Delavan, Illinois) and Dybal with 22 each. CeCe Palladino (Volo, Illinois) led the Scots with four blocks.
The Scots head to Beloit College for a 1 p.m. match on Saturday. The match starts a three-game conference road trip with all three matches in Wisconsin.
***Courtesy of Nathan Baliva, Monmouth College***
