Illinois Opens Weekend With Sweep of Cincinnati

NORMAL, Ill. – The Illini opened the Linda Herman Classic with a sweep of Cincinnati on Friday afternoon at CEFCU Arena in Normal, Ill. With the win, Illinois improved to 3-2 following its first of three matches this weekend.

Taylor de Boer led the Orange and Blue offense as soon as once more, ending one kill shy of her career-best output with 17 on an environment friendly .382 clip. The Canada native prolonged her double-digit kill streak as much as 5 matches, reaching that threshold halfway via the second set.

Alyssa Aguayo gathered the fourth double-double of her freshman marketing campaign with 11 kills and 10 digs, her fifth straight outing with 10+ kills. She additionally tallied an ace and an help, whereas she is the primary freshman since 2016 (Jacqueline Quade) to have at the least 10 kills throughout her first 5 outings.

Ashlyn Philpot used a .600 hitting proportion to whole seven kills, her third effort in a row with at the least seven kills. She additionally had a block and a dig.

Five Illini registered at the least 4 digs: Aguayo (10), Taryn Kirsch (7), Kenna Phelan (7), Lara Žigic (5), and Averie Hernandez (4). Phelan accounted for 2 of the group’s seven aces, whereas six completely different gamers registered at the least one because the Illini hit a season-high .336.

After the Orange and Blue jumped out to an early 6-3 lead within the opening set, the Bearcats used an 8-0 run to go in entrance by 5 and power an Illini timeout. Cincinnati maintained its benefit earlier than Illinois pieced collectively a 6-0 scoring stretch of its personal, which turned a two-point deficit right into a late four-point edge. Closing out the body, the Illini took the opener, 25-21, marking the primary time this season that the Orange and Blue gained the primary set.

The sides battled point-for-point within the second set, finally sitting at 15-15, however the Illini started to drag away through a 6-3 scoring run. Illinois moved as much as set level, although back-to-back Bearcat kills pressured the Orange and Blue to take a late timeout with the scoreline right down to 24-23. A kill from de Boer, who reached double digits earlier within the body, thwarted the comeback try and gave the Illini a two-set lead, 25-23.

A 3-0 Cincinnati stretch gave the Bearcats an early 7-5 edge, however three straight factors from the Illini pushed the Orange and Blue forward. Another 3-0 run noticed UC re-establish a two-point benefit earlier than a 6-0 scoring span from the Illini led to a Bearcat timeout with Illinois forward, 14-10. Maintaining a four-point edge for a majority of the body, Cincinnati trimmed its deficit as little as one, however the Orange and Blue secured the ultimate two factors of the set en path to the 25-22 choice and the sweep.

NOTES

• Taylor de Boer led the group with 17 kills on a .394 hitting proportion.
  

  • Has 10+ kills in every of her first 5 matches of the season.
  • Led the Illini in kills for the fourth time this season.
  • Her .382 hitting proportion set a brand new season-best.

• Alyssa Aguayo logged 11 kills and a team-high 10 digs, along with an ace and an help.

  • Now has double-digit kills in every of the primary 5 matches of her collegiate profession.

    • Is the primary true freshman with 10+ kills of their first 5 collegiate matches in 2016, when Jacqueline Quade had 10+ kills in her first six matches.

  • Had an ace in back-to-back matches for the primary time this season.
  • Has at the least one help in all 5 matches this season.

• Ashlyn Philpot collected seven kills together with one block.

  • Has at the least seven kills in 4 of the primary 5 matches of the season.

    • Has 7+ kills in three consecutive outings.

  • Has a block in all 5 matches this season.

• Auburn Tomkinson amassed 5 kills and two blocks.

  • Has a number of blocks in all 5 matches this season.

• Kenna Phelan completed the afternoon with 34 assists, seven digs, two aces, and a block.

  • Had a number of aces for the fourth time this season.
  • Has 7+ digs in all 5 matches this season.
  • Registered a block in her fourth match this season.

• Illinois hit a season-high .340 as a group.
• Head coach Chris Tamas moved to 152-96 general throughout his time on the helm of the Illini.
• The Illini moved to 11-3 all-time in opposition to Cincinnati.

  • UI is now 6-3 all-time in neutral-site matches in opposition to the Bearcats.
  • Illinois has now gained six consecutive matches in opposition to Cincinnati.

• Illinois is now 1-0 in three-set matches this season.
• The Illini moved to 1-0 when sporting blue sleeveless jerseys.
• Illinois is now 2-1 in neutral-site matches this season.
• The Illini have performed 4 power-conference opponents throughout their first 5 matches, shifting to 3-1 in opposition to such groups this season.

UP NEXT

Illinois continues its time on the Linda Herman Volleyball Classic with a matchup in opposition to Miami (Fla.) on Saturday afternoon. First serve from CEFCU Arena in Normal, Ill., is slated for 12 p.m. CT and will likely be obtainable for streaming on ESPN+.