The University of Miami women’s volleyball team continued its strong start to the season, defeating Illinois State 3-1 on Friday night in the Linda Herman Classic.
The Hurricanes (6-1) dominated all across the stat sheet, tallying 46 kills, 51 digs, nine blocks, and eight aces against the Redbirds (3-3).
The difference maker in the opening set was Miami’s presence around the net. Senior middle blocker Dalia Wilson led the way with five blocks, while she and Logan Wiley delivered key points late to secure a 25-22 win.
Illinois State mounted a comeback in the second set. Hurricane senior Flormarie Heredia Colon continued to push the offense with steady kills and consistent pressure. Freshmen Simone Baskin and Amina Ndiaye contributed with critical kills as well, keeping the set close, but the Redbirds pulled away for a 25-20 win to even the match.
UM regained control in the third set behind a balanced attack. Wilson and Ndiaye dominated at the net again, while Heredia Colon continued to take points from the outside. The Hurricanes built a six-point lead and held off the Redbirds to take the set 25–21.
In the fourth and final set, Heredia Colon sparked the team with back-to-back defensive plays, senior libero Naylani Feliciano added a service ace, and Wilson closed things out at the net as Miami cruised to a 25–13, match-clinching win.
With the victory, the Hurricanes improved to 6-1 and now turn their attention to Illinois in the second match of the Linda Herman Classic. Saturday’s game in Normal, Illinois is scheduled for 1 p.m.