It was three-and-out when the then-No. 15 Illinois volleyball team last clashed with No. 1 Penn State. That was nearly two months ago.

Since then, the Illini have found their game and chemistry on the court.

They enter the match against the Nittany Lions on an 11-game unbeaten streak, which has seen them climb the ranks to No. 5 in the nation.

“We’ve presented a challenge in the past. Certainly, when they came to our place we did not,” Illinois head coach Kevin Hambly said. “We were a doormat. They clobbered us. I’m hoping that motivates us a little bit more to attack.”

While the Orange and Blue will have the momentum of 11 consecutive wins, the Nittany Lions have gone unbeaten in 90 matches, the longest winning streak in collegiate volleyball history.

Illini players think that, at the top of their game, they are capable of extending their streak to 12 and knocking Penn State off their undefeated perch.

“I truly believe that if we play our best style of volleyball, we’ll definitely give Penn State a run for their money,” junior Johannah Bangert said.

“If we play our best style of volleyball and we still lose, than OK, they’re a better team. I’d really just like to see us come out there and give it everything we have and see what happens. Because I think if we do that, we have a really good chance.”

With the top-five clash garnering all the attention, it’s easy to forget that Illinois plays Ohio State on Sunday. The Buckeyes are one of only three teams to take a set off from the Nittany Lions this season.

However, the Nittany Lions are the only team the Illini has in their sights.

Hambly wants to see his team get after it from the beginning and not let Penn State’s reputation intimidate it.

“I think the first set is key,” Hambly said. “I think if our girls can come in … and just attack them in the first set, whether we win it or lose it, if we can get it close then we have a shot.”

The Illini block has exploded in the weeks since the home fixture against Penn State, and the Orange and Blue will have the nation’s leading blocker, Bangert, to counter Penn State’s explosive offense.

“We’re a lot better, as a team, now than we were when we played them the first time,” Bangert said.

“We’ve learned a lot of lessons from different matches. Just using those things that we’ve learned from our previous matches of how we need to play, what style we need to play in, how much energy we need to bring.”

Illinois will have its own explosive offense to throw at Penn State. Illinois’ attack will hope to put the demons of its last Lions encounter behind it, when star hitter DeBruler was held to an uncharacteristically low six kills, only posting a .038 hitting percentage.

“For us, it’s just another opportunity to play one of the best teams in the country,” DeBruler said. “The first time we played them that was one of the first weekends of Big Ten. I think we just know who our team is and what our strengths are really, and hopefully against them, we can utilize those strengths.”

Despite all of the weapons Illinois has on the court, Hambly believes the two teams’ styles of play simply don’t work in favor of the Illini.

“We don’t match up well with this team. Obviously no one does, but I think especially us,” Hambly said.

“They’re very good on the right side, very good slide attack, and we really struggle with that. The thing that we can do is play volleyball. We can play the game, meaning we can control the first two contacts as well as anybody. We have players that can attack, and not all the teams that they play do.”