The Illineks traveled to Oakwood High School on Thursday for their first match of the season. The Comets, featuring one of the area's top defensive players, senior Stephanie Denius, downed Uni in two games. But Illinek coach Amanda Palla is confident the girls can build on their record-setting accomplishments of 2006, the first winning season in Uni volleyball history. They will travel to DeLand-Weldon on Saturday for the annual Eagle Classic: five matches in a single day.

Despite outstanding play by their defense, including several top-notch saves by News-Gazette athlete of the week Isaac Radnitzer late in the game, the Illineks couldn't get back in the win column Thursday, falling 1-0 to the visiting Bulldogs of Mahomet-Seymour. Radnitzer finished the game with 18 saves, including 12 in the first half. The boys visit Fisher on Tuesday in a rematch of the final game of last weekend's Uni High Soccer Shoot Out, when the teams tied 1-1.