Champaign, Ill. - Serving and passing errors resurfaced Saturday night, and Illinois capitalized en route to a 3-0 win against the Spartan volleyball team.

A consistent serving and passing attack from the Illini starkly contrasted the Spartans’ woes in those areas.

The Spartans had 12 service errors and 13 serve receive errors compared to the Fighting Illini’s four serving errors and four receiving errors.

Game one belonged to the Illini - the Spartans only led twice. A solo block by sophomore middle blocker Jenny Rood on middle blocker Lisa Argabright gave the Spartans a 2-1 nod, and a Rood kill resulted in a 3-2 Spartan lead.

MSU’s senior outside hitter Erin Hartley, who finished with 14 kills and 12 digs to lead the team in both categories, tied the game at 10 on a kill. But the Spartans could not jump back in front after an Illini four-point scoring binge.

The Illini‘s lead reached as many as five with the score at 21-16.

The Spartans battled back to trail by one on two occasions late in the game, but a service error from junior defensive specialist Emily Engel gave the Hoosiers the game one 30-27 victory.

The Spartans came out hot in game two, jumping to a 4-1 lead on an ace from Engel.

They held the three-point lead until a three-point run from Illinois knotted the game at 14.

But after responding with a three-point run of their own, punctuated with a kill from Rood, their momentum died as the Illini scored another three straight to tie the score up at 17.

The two teams kept played evenly and were still tied at 25.

The next point would be the most crucial of the match as both the Spartans and the Illini made incredible digs to lengthen the rally.

But Illinois outside hitter Lauren Harks‘ kill ended the rally and gave Illinois the 26-25 lead.

The Illini scored four of the next five points, the last on an ace from outside hitter Sue Webber that Hartley couldn‘t handle. Webber finished with four service aces.

Illinois headed into game three with the 2-0 lead in the match after winning game two, 30-26.

Game three began with more Illini firepower - the home team jumped to a 10-3 lead after six straight points from Webber‘s tough jump serving.

The Spartans couldn’t rebound the entire game, getting no closer than four.

A kill from Illinois outside hitter Shadia Haddad ended the game at 30-22 and completed the three-game match sweep. Haddad had 15 digs in the winning effort.

The Spartans got another double-double from junior outside hitter Kyla Smith‘s 13 kills and 10 digs.