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Illinois heads to Purdue for Active Ankle Challenge
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Ashley Edinger and the Illini play their final non-conference games of the season.
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Sept. 17, 2009
Champaign, Ill. -
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Purdue Active Ankle Challenge
When: Sept. 18-19Where: IAF, West Lafayette, Ind.
The Field: #14 Illinois, Louisville, Ohio, Purdue
Schedule: Illinois vs. Louisville (9/18, 4 pm CT), Purdue vs. Ohio (9/18, 6 pm CT); Illinois vs. Ohio (9/18, 4 pm CT); Purdue vs. Louisville (9/18, 6 pm CT) Radio: WDWS (1400 AM), fightingillini.com, Dave Loane (play-by-play), Matt Wille (analysis). All Illinois matches will be carried live on radio and internet.
Illinois plays final two non-conference matches of the season
Illinois travels to Purdue this weekend for the Active Ankle Challenge. Illinois will meet both Louisville and Ohio.
• This is the first in an unofficial "Big Ten-Big East Challenge" which will be held over the next few years. Cincinnati will join the foursome next year, but didn't in 2009 because the Bearcats were already on the Illinois schedule. Next year's matches will be in Louisville and in Champaign in 2011.
Illinois vs. Louisville
Illinois is 6-3 all-time vs. Louisville, including a pair of meetings in the post-season. The Illini defeated Louisville in straight sets in the 2003 NCAA Second Round at Huff Hall to advance to the Sweet 16. The teams met the following year in the NCAA First Round in Columbia, Mo., with the Cardinals prevailing, 3-0. Louisville has won the last two meetings between the schools, having also defeated the Illini, 3-0, at the UNLV Classic in 2005.
More on Louisville
• The Cardinals are 7-3 on the season, with their only losses coming to no. 21 Arizona, no. 20 Wichita State and 9-0 Toledo. Louisville is coming off a thrilling five-set victory over intrastate rival, #16 Kentucky. Lola Arslanbekova and Justine Landi led the Cardinals with 21 and 18 kills, respectively.
More on Ohio
• Ohio will be playing its third and fourth Big Ten teams of the year, having defeated Wisconsin in four sets at the InnTowner Invitational in Madison, and lost in five sets to Indiana last week at the Hampton Inn Invitational. The only other loss came in five sets to Northern Iowa. The Bobcats have victories over two ACC schools, Duke (3-0) and Georgia Tech (3-2).
• Ohio has been to the NCAA Tournament in the last six years, including a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005. Ohio lost to Yale, 3-2 in the first round last season. Much of the Bobcats success came under the direction of Geoff Carlson, now the head coach at Ohio State. In 2005, the Bobcats defeated Ohio State in five sets in the NCAA second round, then lost to Arizona, 3-2, in the Sweet 16.
Illinois wins State Farm Illini Classic
Illinois looked sharp in claiming its 19th State Farm Illini Classic title over the weekend. Illinois hit .317 as a team, including .409 in a three-set victory over Cincinnati.
• The Illini defeated no. 16 Saint Louis in four sets behind 28 kills from Laura DeBruler.
DeBruler earns Big Ten weekly honor
Illinois junior outside hitter Laura DeBruler has been named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. DeBruler had 63 kills (6.3 kills per set) and hit .419 as the Illini captured the State Farm Illini Classic title. The All-American earned her third career tournament MVP honor, second this season and second straight in the Illini Classic. This is the sixth Big Ten Player of the Week honor DeBruler, who also earned the distinction twice as a freshman and three times as a sophomore.
DeBruler had 19 kills and eight digs while hitting .441 vs. Cincinnati; 16 kills and seven digs while hitting .517 vs. Illinois State and 28 kills and 10 digs while hitting .361 in a four-set victory over no. 14 Saint Louis. Those 28 kills marked the 29th match in which DeBruler has amassed at least 20 kills, tying Rachel VanMeter for the most such matches in school history. Her kills numbers in that match were three off a career-high for DeBruler and five shy of the tournament record.
DeBruler, Haen among nation's leaders
Laura DeBruler leads the Big Ten and ranks second in the nation in both kills (5.64 kills per set) and points (6.18 per set). She is now hitting .342 for the year and has added 47 digs.
• Junior setter Hillary Haen is tops in the nation in assists with 12.55 per set. Haen has four matches of at least 40 assists despite the Illini playing only one match of over three sets.
• Illinois ranks fourth in the nation in assists per set at 14.00 and seventh nationally in kills per set at 14.45. The Illini are also 30th in hitting percentage (.269).
