The student section inside Wilkinson Hall is normally filled with a sea of cream and crimson. But for Indiana volleyball’s match with Illinois on Sunday, a splash of orange infiltrated the crowd.
A group of Illinois volleyball fans gathered inside the Hoosiers’ own student section to disrupt and create distractions to help their Fighting Illini on the road.
And those efforts weren’t for nothing as Illinois persevered through tight sets to sweep the Hoosiers on their home floor.
“Props to Illinois,” Indiana head coach Steve Aird said postgame. “Thought they played great, especially in the red zone. Like, in game one we had a swing for the win, and they found a way. Game three, we had swings for the win. You know, it’s a much different match if you just execute a little bit late.”
The Hoosiers’ performance late in sets plagued them throughout their contest against the Fighting Illini. The two played close in each of the three sets, but Illinois executed in the most critical moments.
The first set saw 16 ties and six lead changes. Indiana had five opportunities to win set point but never did. Illinois continued to battle in the “red zone” to defeat the Hoosiers 29-27.
The same sequenc...