Volleyball Game Preview: Athens Warriors vs. Illini Bluffs Tigers

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Previous Games

10/21/24 - Home	2-1 W
10/11/23 - Away	0-2 L
10/12/22 - Home	2-1 W
10/14/21 - Away	2-1 W
10/17/19 - Away	0-2 L
+ 3 more games

Athens and Illini Bluffs are an even 4-4 against one another since October of 2016, but not for long. The Warriors will face off against the Tigers at 7:00 p.m. on Monday. Athens will be strutting in after a victory while Illini Bluffs will be coming in after a loss.

Having struggled with three defeats in a row, Athens turned things around against St. Thomas More on Saturday. They came out on top against the Sabers by a score of 2-0.

Meanwhile, Illini Bluffs didn't have quite enough to beat Hartsburg-Emden on Thursday and fell 2-1. The Tigers have struggled against the Stags recently, as the game was their seventh consecutive lost matchup.

In an exciting match in which no team claimed back-to-back wins, Illini Bluffs sadly wound up on the wrong side. Once all was said and done, the final score wound up at 25-19, 25-27, 25-19.

Athens will have to keep a close watch on Chloe Eeten and Maddy Stephens, a pair of players who had a big impact on Illini Bluffs' prior game. Eeten had three digs and three aces, while Stephens had eight digs and two blocks. Eeten is also on a roll when it comes to assists, as she's now posted 24 or more in each of the last three games she's played.

Illini Bluffs' loss dropped their record down to 22-2. As for Athens, their win bumped their record up to 26-7.

Athens skirted past Illini Bluffs 2-1 in their previous meeting back in October of 2024. One of the biggest obstacles the team faced in that game was Eeten, who had nine digs and three aces. Now that she's got a second chance to win this matchup, will the Warriors still be able to contain Eeten? There's only one way to find out.