LINCOLN, Neb. -- Sophomore middle blocker Jessica Brown tied her season high by hitting .500 with 15 kills, but Western Michigan fell to third-ranked Illinois, 3-0 (25-17, 25-22, 25-23), at the NU Coliseum in the Ameritas Players Challenge.

Freshman libero Lena Oliver led the Broncos (6-2) with 18 digs, while junior setter Sam Viox dished out 34 assists with five digs and two kills as the Broncos hit .232 against the Fighting Illini (6-0). Freshman middle blocker Emily Harris played the last 1.5 sets and finished with career highs of five kills and .300 attack percentage.

WMU connected for 42 kills and picked up 57 digs, but Illinois still finished hitting .375 with 58 kills.

"I'm really proud of the way our girls handled themselves and played within our system and not try to do what they are not capable of," head coach Colleen Munson said. "We gave them all they could handle and they had to work to beat us."

Illinois jumped on top of the Broncos early by scoring the first four points of the match, but kills by Gillian Asque and Brown pulled WMU back within one, 10-9. Illinois scored the next two points, but WMU was able to cut the lead to one, 13-12, on a block by Viox and Brown and again on kills by Doyle at 16-15 and 17-16. The Fighting Illini pulled away late with an 8-1 run to take the opening set, 25-17.

Illinois hit .421 with 19 kills, while the Broncos hit .156 with 10 kills, five by Brown.

Kills by Brown and Asque put WMU in the lead early, 3-1, and held that lead until Illinois scored four in a row, 11-9. The Broncos rallied with a 7-1 run with five kills by Brown, a kill by Viox and an ace from Asque to go up four, 16-12. Illinois came back with a 6-2 run to tie the score and force WMU into a timeout. Freshman Ali Gossen scored for WMU to put them back on top, 19-18, as the teams began to play sideout volleyball. Brown had another kill to keep WMU in front, 22-21, but then Illinois scored the next four points to capture the set, 25-22.

The Broncos hit .255 in the second set with 16 kills, seven by Brown, and collected 28 digs, nine by Oliver. The Illini continued to put balls away with 21 kills hitting .315.

"Jess' strength is her speed and when we're in system and Sam can get her the ball, she's going to have success," Munson said. "Against a big-blocking team like Illinois, they can't respond to her speed and that's why she's able to be successful."

The Illini pulled away to a four-point lead, 10-6, until WMU scored six points in a row on two kills by Harris, block by Doyle and Harris and kills from Allyson Doyle and Asque to go up by two, 12-10. Doyle kept the Broncos in the lead, 13-12, with a kill, but Illinois scored three in a row to regain the lead, 15-13, for good. WMU battled back and cut the lead to one, 23-22, on a kill by Asque, and again on a kill by Brown, 24-23, before Illinois took the match, 25-23.

WMU picked up its hitting to .262 with 16 kills in the final set, led by Harris with four kills, while Illinois hit .417 with 18 kills.

Illinois was led by Colleen Ward with 18 kills, while Jennifer Bonilla led all players with 22 digs. Setter Hillary Haen passed out 48 assists.

The Broncos plays the tournament host, No. 7 Nebraska (6-1), at 8 p.m. ET