Illini Conclude Common Season At Home Towards #15 Indiana, Northwestern

Matches 28+29 // Illinois Hosts the Hoosiers on Wednesday, Welcomes the Wildcats on Friday
Match 28: #15 Indiana	Wednesday, Nov. 26 | 8 p.m. CT | Champaign, Ill. | Huff Hall | Big Ten Network | Radio | Live Stats
Match 29: Northwestern	Friday, Nov. 28 | 6 p.m. CT | Champaign, Ill. | Huff Hall | B1G+ | Radio | Live Stats
Buy Tickets	Indiana | Northwestern
Rosters	Illinois | Indiana | Northwestern
Printable Notes	Illinois
Series History	Indiana: ILL leads, 76-20; Last Match: IU gained, 3-0, on 11/29/2024; Streak: L1 Northwestern: ILL leads, 68-32; Last Match: ILL gained, 3-0, on 10/19/2025; Streak: W3
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Promotions	Indiana First Responders Night – Join the Illinois volleyball staff as we honor the courageous women and men that hold our group protected every day. Northwestern Senior Day – Join the Illinois volleyball staff as we honor the senior class for his or her exhausting work and dedication to Fighting Illini volleyball. The ceremony might be held after the match. VIP Kids Zone – All children are invited to take a seat within the south stands to be part of our VIP Kids Zone!
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MATCHES 28&29

Illinois closes the common season at dwelling for the primary time since 2018, internet hosting #15 Indiana and Northwestern on Wednesday and Friday, respectively.

Wednesday night time’s contest towards the ranked Hoosiers is about for 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network, whereas Friday’s Senior Night showdown towards the Wildcats will happen at 7 p.m. CT on B1G+.

OPPONENT SCOUT

#15 Indiana has put collectively certainly one of its finest seasons in program historical past, getting into Wednesday’s matchup with 22 general wins and 13 victories in Big Ten play, the latter of which marks an all-time finest for the Hoosier program.

Boasting a 22-6 general file and a 13-5 mark towards convention opponents, IU includes a balanced assault with three gamers averaging over three kills per set: Candela Alonso-Corcelles (3.57), Jaidyn Jager (3.44), and Avry Tatum (3.19). Freshman setter Teodora Krickovic has guided the Hoosiers to a .288 hitting proportion whereas posting 10.73 assists/set.

Indiana is 8-3 away from dwelling this season, which incorporates ranked street wins over #17 USC, #24 UCLA, #19 Penn State, and present #13 Miami.

The Hoosiers are led by Steve Aird, who’s in his eighth season on the helm of this system.

Northwestern enters the ultimate week of the common season with a 16-14 file general and a 6-12 mark in Big Ten motion. The Illini swept the Wildcats away from dwelling on Oct. 19 within the first assembly between the edges.

The Wildcats returned 9 gamers from its 2024 roster that posted a 5-23 general file whereas bringing in 9 newcomers. Senior Rylen Reid leads the Wildcat offense with 3.32 kills/set, although she didn’t play in October’s matchup in Evanston.

NU is 5-8 in true street matches in 2025, although the Wildcats have misplaced seven of their final eight contests away from dwelling after beginning 4-1.

Tim Nollan is in his second season on the helm of Northwestern, holding a 21-37 file since becoming a member of the Wildcat program. Nollan made the transfer to the Big Ten after spending eight seasons at Grand Canyon (2016-23).

SERIES HISTORY

The Fighting Illini are 76-20  towards Indiana within the all-time collection, which dates again to 1975. The applications every defended their dwelling court docket in final season’s matches, with the Hoosiers successful the newest assembly within the 2024 regular-season finale. Illinois has gained the final 16 matchups between the Illini and the Hoosiers at Huff Hall.

The Fighting Illini are 68-32 towards Northwestern forward of the a hundred and first assembly within the all-time collection. Illinois defeated the Wildcats in straight units on the street on Oct. 19 in the newest contest between the in-state convention foes.

TOP-10 ROAD WIN

Illinois secured its first ranked victory of the yr with a four-set street triumph at #10 Purdue on Sept. 28 within the staff’s first Big Ten street match of the season.

In entrance of a hostile crowd at Mackey Arena, the Orange and Blue’s victory marked their first overcome a top-10 opponent since 2021, whereas the Illini improved to 2-0 in convention play for the primary time since 2022.

Ashlyn Philpot collected 12 kills, together with the ultimate level of the afternoon to seal the victory. Hitting at a .429 clip, she additionally notched 4 blocks and accounted for the Illini’s last three kills of the day.

Alyssa Aguayo and Auburn Tomkinson additionally ended the afternoon with double-digit kills. Aguayo amassed 11 kills, 5 digs, 4 assists, and a block, whereas Tomkinson tallied 11 kills and added a career-high 5 blocks and a dig.

Taylor de Boer led the Illini in kills as soon as once more, ending with 17. She additionally logged a block and a dig.

Defensively, Taryn Kirsch totaled a career-high 21 digs alongside her 5 assists, whereas Kenna Phelan posted her fourth double-double of the season with 39 assists and 10 digs.

HARRIS, MILES SIGN WITH ILLINI IN 2026

Illinois head coach Chris Tamas introduced two additions to the Fighting Illini’s 2026 signing class. Maya Harris and Madi Miles each signed Big Ten Athletics Aid Agreements on Wednesday.

“Both Madi and Maya have been exceptional for their school and club teams, playing at the highest level,” Tamas stated. “They have a strong competitive spirit and the skills to back it up. We are excited to add them as official members of the Fighting Illini.”

A 2025 AVCA All-Region honoree, Harris is an out of doors hitter from Angola, Indiana, and ranked fourth within the nation in aces (177) in 2025.

Miles is an out of doors hitter from Fishers, Indiana, who’s ranked #97 general and the #40 OH within the Class of 2026 by Prep Dig.

DE BOER WINS 2025 ATHLETESCAN TRUE SPORT AWARD

Illinois’ Taylor de Boer was acknowledged on the 2025 Canadian Sport Awards as this yr’s recipient of the AthletesCAN True Sport Award.

The True Sport Award acknowledges an inspirational Canadian citizen who exemplifies true sport values of equity, excellence, inclusion, and enjoyable in a significant approach. Through the pursuit of sporting excellence this Canadian hero showcases dedication, perseverance, sportsmanship, respect for others, and a real love of sport.

A local of Kelowna, British Columbia, Canada, de Boer was honored for her perseverance and resilience all through her battle with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) vasculitis, a uncommon autoimmune illness that assaults the kidneys, joints, lungs, and different small vessels. Diagnosed previous to her first season with the Fighting Illini in 2023, de Boer had simply returned from being a staff captain for Canada’s U19 staff on the Pan American Cup.

Only 17 years previous on the time of her analysis in the summertime of 2023, she spent the following month in crucial care on the OSF Children’s Hospital of Illinois in Peoria. She used her time within the hospital to get entangled with Uplifting Athletes, which raises consciousness and funds for uncommon ailments. Continuing her work as she continued her therapy and restoration, she was tabbed a Rare Disease Champion by the group.

Other finalists for this yr’s award included Eric Furtado-Rodrigues (Wheelchair Rugby) and Ruby Stevens (Para Swimming and Wheelchair Rugby).

PHELAN GOOD

Kenna Phelan was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week on Sept. 29 after main the Fighting Illini to a 2-0 week with wins towards [RV] Oregon and at #10 Purdue.

Phelan averaged 9.4 assists/set and a pair of.4 digs/set over the course of the two-match weekend, totaling 66 assists, 17 digs, two kills, two aces, and a block. She tallied 27 assists whereas making seven digs and tacking on an ace and a block within the Illini’s towards the Ducks.

Two days later, in her first profession Big Ten street match, Phelan recorded her fourth double-double of the season with 39 assists and 10 digs towards the #10-ranked Boilermakers. She additionally added two kills and an ace because the Orange and Blue earned their first top-10 victory since 2021.

She turned the primary Illini to safe Big Ten Setter of the Week honors since Diana Brown in 2021.

IMMEDIATE IMPACTS

Freshman Alyssa Aguayo averaged 2.76 kills, 3.17 factors, 2.37 digs, and 0.33 blocks per set throughout her 99 units of motion whereas beginning all 27 matches. Also totaling 10 double-doubles to date, she turned the primary Illini true freshman with 10+ kills of their first six collegiate matches since 2016, when Jacqueline Quade additionally had 10+ kills in her first six matches.

Fellow freshman Taryn Kirsch has donned the libero jersey for everything of her debut marketing campaign, marking the staff’s first freshman starter on the place since 2023. Kirsch leads the Illini in digs, averaging 3.18 digs/set, and set a career-high with 24 digs throughout the Illini’s street match at UCLA on Nov. 20.

Auburn Tomkinson, a redshirt sophomore, has made an instantaneous influence at Illinois after transferring from Texas, the place she spent her first two seasons however didn’t play. The California native has 10+ kills in 9 matches, together with a career-high 18 kills in her return to her dwelling state at UCLA on Nov. 20.

Kenna Phelan stepped into the Illini’s beginning setter spot after taking part in her first two seasons at Florida State. She has logged 9 double-doubles and is averaging a career-best 9.73 assists/set. With her 43 assists and 21 digs at Ohio State, Phelan turned the primary Illini with a 40-assist, 20-dig double-double since 2017.

FINE NINE

The Illinois volleyball staff added 9 newcomers for the 2025 season. Auburn Tomkinson, Taryn Kirsch, Devin Dzienny, Gabriella Pitcel, Kenna Phelan, Sophi Randall, Alyssa Aguayo, Ava Wysocki, and Lara Žigic all joined the roster throughout the offseason. Tomkinson and Phelan have earlier collegiate expertise at Texas and Florida State, respectively. Dzienny was an early enrollee at Florida earlier than shifting to Champaign.

OH, CANADA

Redshirt sophomore Taylor de Boer represented her dwelling nation of Canada at each the U23 NORCECA Pan American Cup and the Senior Pan American Cup in Mexico over the summer season.

De Boer and Canada claimed the silver medal on the U23 NORCECA Pan American Cup. The U23 Canadian staff, making its first-ever look within the Women’s U23 Pan American Cup last, fell to the United States within the last. The staff’s second-place end was Canada’s finest ever within the competitors, and it additionally served because the squad’s first-ever medal.

LAND OF LINCOLN

The Illini squad options 4 gamers from the state of Illinois. Bianca May (Orland Park), Averie Hernandez (Bloomington), Vivian Campbell (Oswego), and Ava Wysocki (Kildeer) all hail from the Land of Lincoln.

NEW FACES IN NEW PLACES

The Fighting Illini noticed modifications to go coach Chris Tamas‘ workers in 2025 with the addition of Meredith Schamun because the staff’s affiliate head coach.

Schamun joins the Illini following a four-year head teaching stint at Penn, most just lately guiding the Quakers to a profitable 13-10 marketing campaign with an 7-7 Ivy League file in 2024. The season included the Quakers’ first win over rival Princeton since 2015 and their first victory over Brown since 2019. Following the season, a pair of Schamun’s gamers acquired All-Ivy recognition.

Schamun got here to Penn from Villanova, the place she helped the Wildcats to a 39-23 file in two seasons because the assistant coach and recruiting coordinator. Schamun assisted Villanova to a pair of Big East Tournament appearances and a mixed 23-13 file in league play. In 2019, the Wildcats had been 22-9 general and 13-5 within the Big East.

Schamun spent two seasons at Tulane as an assistant coach, serving to the Green Wave to the best RPI bounce within the nation (157 spots) in 2016.

A extremely embellished setter at Rice University, Schamun was a four-year starter for the Owls. The Conference USA Setter of the Year in 2009, Schamun was a Conference USA Championship MVP, two-time All-C-USA First Team, AVCA All-Region, and AVCA All-America honorable point out choice. She helped lead the Owls to a convention championship and two NCAA Championship berths, and completed her profession as Rice’s all-time chief in assists with 5,190.­

AS SEEN ON TV

The Illini might be featured on nationwide tv 10 instances this season. The staff’s street matches at Purdue, Wisconsin, and Minnesota all aired on Big Ten Network. The Illini’s dwelling clashes towards Iowa State, Penn State, and Indiana can even be proven on BTN. Contests at Nebraska and UCLA had been performed on FS1. The inaugural Broadway Block Party match towards Vanderbilt aired on SEC Network, whereas Illinois battled #3 Louisville on the street on ESPN.

HEAD COACH CHRIS TAMAS AT THE HELM

The eighth head coach in Illinois historical past, Tamas has made a powerful influence on Illinois volleyball and owns an general file of 162-108 (.600), together with a 98-78 (.557) mark within the nation’s hardest volleyball league, the Big Ten, in addition to 5 NCAA Tournament appearances, together with three NCAA Regional appearances, and a visit to the Final Four in 2018.

Tamas earned his one centesimal profession win – with all 100 coming on the helm of the Illini program – after main Illinois to its third journey to the Sweet 16 in 5 seasons after back-to-back wins to open the 2021 NCAA event, together with a four-set win over 2020-21 nationwide champion and #7 seed Kentucky in Lexington. His one hundred and fiftieth profession victory got here towards Vanderbilt on the Sprouts Farmers Market Broadway Block Party on Aug. 31.

Illinois skilled certainly one of its most profitable seasons ever in 2018 underneath Tamas, who was subsequently named AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year.

The Illini made this system’s fourth-ever look within the NCAA National Semifinals because the #3 general seed within the event, using a 17-match win streak into the Final Four and ending the season ranked #3 within the AVCA Coaches Poll. The staff registered a 32-4 general file and completed in second place within the Big Ten with a 17-3 mark, with the 32 victories rating tied for fourth-most at school historical past.

Under Tamas’ management, the Illini collected numerous particular person honors, highlighted by AVCA All-America First Team alternatives in Jordyn Poulter and Jacqueline Quade, the primary time in program historical past Illinois had a number of first-team honorees in a season.