CHAMPAIGN – Don Hardin wasn't at a loss for words. Just at a loss for explanations.

"I really don't have any answers," the University of Illinois volleyball coach said Saturday night after his team went down with little resistance in a 15-2, 15-8, 15-10 loss to Ohio State at Huff Hall. "It's one of the most embarrassing performances I've ever been involved in as a coach and as a player.

"When a team puts on such a dramatically different performance from what they're capable of, there's something wrong, and we have to get to the bottom of it."

The setback marked another downturn in what has been a roller coaster ride through the Big Ten schedule. Illinois, 12-6 overall and 3-5 in the conference, entered with a chance to reach the .500 mark in the league for the first time this season.

"They had every reason to fight," Hardin said. "It's embarrassing to me the way we lost – to come out and not even play volleyball. I just don't understand that."

"It just seems like we can't put two performances back to back," said middle blocker Cristy Chapman after the UI went 1-1 in the conference for the third weekend in a row. "Tonight, we didn't even come out to play."

UI setter Melissa Beitz had no explanations, either, but she had a strong suggestion.

"I think the most important thing for us to do right now is maybe some soul-searching as a team," she said.

Saturday's match started promisingly enough for Illinois, Mary Coleman and Tracey Marshall delivering kills that put the hosts ahead 2-1. Then the roof fell in. Ohio State scored the next 15 points while racking up a .667 hitting percentage for Game 1. Illinois' serve receive was in shambles throughout the game, the Buckeyes scoring five points on ace serves.

For the match, Ohio State finished with nine service aces to Illinois' one.

"That's feeble, but everything we did tonight was feeble," Hardin said.

Illinois stumbled out of the gate in Game 2, trailing 8-1 before regrouping to match Ohio State point for point the remainder of the game.

The third game was a carbon copy, Ohio State rolling to an 11-1 lead and Illinois finally responding with some counterpunches that came too late to matter.

Hardin saw little to be proud of in the late spurts of inspired play.

"We get around to game point and we know we're going to lose, and so then we can play ball for five or six points," he said. "But that's not competing. You don't wait until that point to do it."

Hardin sounded as if he'll wait no longer on some lineup changes. Actually, he made one Saturday night by keeping Chapman on the floor throughout the match rather than substitute for her when she was due to rotate into the back row. The Illini junior responded with seven digs as well as 13 kills in 31 swings.

And for the second night in a row, Hardin replace a struggling Sara Sorrell at middle blocker with Betsy Spicer. The freshman from Barrington set another career high with nine kills – two more than she produced Friday – while hitting .368.