Volleyball was back at Huff Hall on Saturday night as the Fighting Illini of the present hosted the Fighting Illini of the past.

It only took three matches for the current Illini to defeat their predecessors. But that didn’t make the experience any less enjoyable for some alumni.

“It’s so fun to come back. I’ve come back every year since I finished up,” said 2006 alumna Rachel VanMeter. “We tried to practice earlier today to get ready to go, but it’s always hard because we haven’t played in a while. But we had fun.”

Leading the way for the current Illini was highly-touted freshman Michelle Bartsch, who had 11 kills in the third set alone. She would wrap up the night with 24 kills.

“She has an amazing arm swing and did some really smart things,” head coach Don Hardin said. “She doesn’t play like a freshman.”

Up next, the girls will put their skills to the test against North Carolina next Friday in the State Farm Illini Classic at Huff Hall.