When Illinois faces in-state rival Loyola in its home opener Wednesday night at Huff Hall, they will be seeking revenge.

Loyola came into Huff Hall last year and beat them in five games. After losing the first two of the match, the Ramblers came back and won the next three for the win.

“Just from last year, how they beat us after the USC game at home, there’s definitely a revenge factor there,” said sophomore middle blocker Vicki Brown.

Three days before the Loyola match last year, Illinois took down the then-No.1 team in the nation, USC, and entered the top-10 as the ninth-ranked team. After the loss to Loyola, the Illini dropped to No. 13 in the American Volleyball Coaches Association rankings.

Although Loyola is winless going into the match, posting a 0-3 record, the Illini are not about to underestimate the task before them.

“We remember that match from last year,” said head coach Don Hardin. “We know that if we don’t play well we can lose to anyone.”

The Illini are hot and are hoping to build off of their sixth-straight tournament victory at the NIU Invitational in DeKalb, Ill. They moved to 5-0 on the season with victories over Northern Illinois, Austin Peay, Indiana State and UW-Green Bay.

The 5-0 start is the seventh best in school history. In 1985, Illinois began the season with 30-straight wins, the best start ever for an Illinois volleyball team.

If Illinois hopes to continue its winning streak and beat Loyola on Wednesday, the team will have to rely on senior outside hitter Rachel VanMeter and junior defensive specialist Beth Vrdsky, who were both named to the All-Tournament team in DeKalb. VanMeter was named the tournament’s Most Valuable Player after posting 89 kills and hitting .360 for the tournament.

Vrdsky had 43 digs in two games over the weekend, posting 20 in the five-game victory over Indiana State and setting a career-best 23 digs against Austin Peay.

Besides VanMeter and Vrdsky, sophomore setter Stephanie Obermeier is making huge contributions to the team. Last Saturday against UW-Green Bay, Obermeier recorded 49 assists in the match.

Through the first two weeks of the season, Obermeier made some noise in the Big Ten, leading the league in assists with 14.43 per game. Last season as a freshman, Obermeier ranked 15th in the nation in assists at 13.41 per game and posted the second most assists by a freshman in Illinois school history with 1,100.

Illinois, who was injury stricken last year, will make some adjustments for the Loyola match on Wednesday in hopes of keeping players healthy.

Senior outside hitter Rasa Virsilaite, who was out during the summer with a heart murmur, will be moved to the right side. Freshman middle blocker Rachel Henderson will miss the home opener and be out for an undetermined amount of time with infectious mononucleosis.

Despite all the injuries, Illinois is still looking forward to playing in front of the home crowd for the first time this season.

“We haven’t played at home with this lineup,” Hardin said. “I think all the players are a little bit anxious.”