COLUMBUS, Ohio — There was nothing wrong with the way Illinois started Wednesday night’s match at Ohio State. The Illini played solid defense, put pressure on the Buckeyes with some strong serving and got all-time kills leader Jocelynn Birks going on the left side.
How Illinois finished the match — even with a tighter fourth set — left something to be desired. Ohio State ratcheted up the tempo after its sluggish start, unleashed standout middle Taylor Sandbothe and topped Illinois 16-25, 25-17, 25-18, 25-23 to snap the Illini’s four-match winning streak.
“We did not handle it very well,” UI coach Kevin Hambly said of Ohio State’s quicker tempo.