#1 Volleyball downs #20 Michigan, 3-1, at Huff Hall

In most years the teams that have set atop the Big Ten standings have been the most physical, an imposing force at the net. For the second straight match, the Illini were that team in posting 17 blocks, this time stopping another team with a physical reputation, Michigan. The Illini were dominant in the early sets, then had to reach back to close out the 20th-ranked Wolverines, 25-14, 25-19, 21-25, 25-20 in front of a midweek crowd of 2,347 at Huff Hall. Illinois moves to 18-0 overall and 7-0 in the Big Ten, a half game ahead of fifth-ranked Nebraska in the conference standings.

"I think we came out and played pretty physical like we ended at Penn State," Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly said. "We really focused on defense and worked really hard to close blocks."

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