Aurora University tops Illinois Institute of Technology, 3-0
Aurora swept Illinois Tech 25-19, 25-17, 25-18 on Tuesday, September 23 at Keating Sports Center in Chicago to open NACC play with a victory.
Aurora held a decisive efficiency edge throughout, hitting .159 as a team compared to Illinois Tech's .025. The Spartans generated 32 kills on 113 attempts while limiting their own unforced errors, a gap that proved decisive across all three sets. Illinois Tech's attack struggled particularly in Set 2, where the Scarlet Hawks hit -.026 as a team. Both squads finished level on aces at six apiece, and blocks were nearly even at 3-4 in favor of Illinois Tech, making the kill efficiency disparity the clearest separator. Aurora's back row also logged a strong night, recording 56 digs to Illinois Tech's 49.
Katelyn Ruse led all players with 7 kills for Aurora, while Izzie Rysanek added 6 kills and finished with 6.5 points. Trinity Nelson ran the offense with 23 assists and contributed 11 digs and a kill for a complete all-around line. For Illinois Tech, Lilia Donaldson and Rowan Midgette each tallied 6 kills, with Midgette also distributing 14 assists. Brooke Rifkin anchored the Scarlet Hawks' defense with a match-high 18 digs.
In Set 3, Aurora reeled off a 6-0 run from 9-5 to 15-5, pulling away decisively after a competitive opening stretch.
The win moves Aurora to 12-2 on the season and 1-0 in NACC play.
