Senior setter Ruthie Welch (1) goes up against a Bement player during Saturday's Eagle Classic at DeLand-Weldon High School. Welch, Uni's career assist leader, finished the five-match tournament with 41 assists. Gargoyle photo (click to enlarge)

[Note: This story has been updated with additional statistics and comments.]

DELAND — Setter Ruthie Welch recorded 41 assists and middle hitter Rachel Skoza made 23 kills as the Uni girls placed fourth at the eight-team DeLand-Weldon Eagle Classic today.

The Illineks began the five-match tourney at 8 a.m. with a 25-21, 25-20 win over Atwood-Hammond. They followed that with a 25-14, 25-19 victory over Kincaid South Fork in a match that started at 10 a.m.

In the afternoon Uni dropped its final three matches. The Illineks lost to Morrisonville 11-25, 17-25 (1 p.m. start) and Bement 23-25, 16-25 (2:30 p.m. start) before playing Morrisonville again at 5 p.m. for third place.

Uni lost the first game of that match 21-25 but built a 23-18 lead in the second game. Morrisonville came back to score 7 unanswered points as Uni finished the day with a tourney record of 2-3. Last year the girls went 1-4 at the Eagle Classic.

"They're working as a team," said coach Amanda Palla, who was pleased with how her players regrouped after the season-opening loss to Oakwood on Thursday. "I can count on all of them. They were awesome this morning. This afternoon they're just tired — maybe not physically but mentally. It takes a lot to play five matches in a day."

Welch, who entered the season as Uni's career leader in assists, now has 644 to her credit. But according to Palla, the real eye-opening performance at the tournament belonged to Skoza, who added 8 blocks to her double-digit kills.

"Rachel's hitting in particular is great," Palla said. "She's also developing her court sense. She's seeing where the holes are and turning them into kills. She's coming into her own as a volleyball player. She came to us as a basketball player. I think we're converting her."

For the day, Skoza led the Illineks in kills and blocks. Senior outside hitter Sarah Pfander and senior middle hitter Karen Woodley contributed 15 and 14 kills respectively, followed by Welch with 13. Woodley added 5 blocks.

Junior Sheri Grill, the team's other setter, followed Welch in the assist category with 16.

Senior Jamie Weiser made 27 digs. Defensive specialist Michelle Wong, the only sophomore on the varsity squad, was next with 16, followed by junior outside hitter Annie Machesky with 13.

Machesky led the team in aces with 8. Senior right-side player Claire Johnson was second with 5.

The Illineks are now 2-4 overall. Pfander, for one, came out of the tourney feeling she and her teammates had progressed since their season opener.

"We were passing a lot better than we did against Oakwood, our serving was consistent, and our hits looked good," she said. "Our play dropped a little in the afternoon, which i credit mostly to fatigue. I know I was really tired.

"One thing that I feel we have to work on is positive energy on the court," Pfander continued. "We were all so exhausted at the end that we weren't talking as well as we should have, people were getting snippy with each other, and the intensity was essentially nonexistent. I think if we learn to be more supportive of each other, even when things aren't going so well, then our team will improve exponentially. Volleyball is such a mental game — it's all about getting in the right mindset, which we can do if we help our teammates."

The girls will travel to Buckley Christ Lutheran on Tuesday to play their first East Central Illinois Conference match of the season. The contest is varsity only and is scheduled to begin at 6 p.m.

Uni finished 8-4 in the ECIC last year, placing second behind undefeated champ Decatur Lutheran.

2007 GIRLS VOLLEYBALL VARSITY RECORD: 2-4
(home matches listed in bold)

Aug. 30: at Oakwood, L 18-25, 16-25

• Story: Uni drops season opener
• Kills: Karen Woodley 2, Sarah Pfander 2
• Assists: Ruth Welch 3, Sheri Grill 2
• Blocks: Rachel Skoza 2, Chelsea Freeland 1, Woodley 1
• Digs: Jamie Weiser 2, Annie Machesky 2, Welch 2, Pfander 2
• Aces: Weiser 2, Claire Johnson 1, Freeland 1, Pfander 1
• JV match: Uni def. Oakwood in three games: 25-17, 22-25, 25-13 (JV record: 1-0)

Sept. 1: at DeLand-Weldon Eagle Classic, 2 wins, 3 losses (4th place in 8-team tournament)

• Story: see above
• Match 1: vs. Atwood-Hammond, W 25-21, 25-20
• Match 2: vs. Kincaid South Fork, W 25-14, 25-19
• Match 3: vs. Morrisonville, L 11-25, 17-25
• Match 4: vs. Bement, L 23-25, 16-25
• Match 5: vs. Morrisonville, L 21-25, 23-25
• Kills (Uni leaders for tournament): Rachel Skoza 23, Sarah Pfander 15, Karen Woodley 14, Ruth Welch 13
• Assists (Uni leaders for tournament): Welch 41, Sheri Grill 16, Claire Johnson 7
• Blocks (Uni leaders for tournament): Skoza 8, Woodley 5
• Digs (Uni leaders for tournament): Jamie Weiser 27, Michelle Wong 16, Annie Machesky 13, Pfander 9, Welch 7, Chelsea Freeland 5
• Aces (Uni leaders for tournament): Machesky 8, Johnson 5, Welch 3

Next match: at Buckley Christ Lutheran, Sept. 4, (directions); varsity-only match to begin at 6 p.m.