CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois volleyball team earned a weekend sweep as the Illini took down Maryland in a five-set thriller (27-25, 12-25, 25-22, 26-24, 15-9) on Saturday (March 20) night in Huff Hall.
Freshman Raina Terry continued to dominate offensively for the Illini (4-10) with a match-high and career-high 23 kills, while redshirt-sophomore Bruna Vrankovic also turned in a career-high 18 kills and served up her first two career service aces on the night. Joining the duo in double figures was sophomore Kennedy Collins with 11 kills to go along with a match-high five blocks.
Redshirt-sophomore Diana Brown had another strong outing as the setter registered her fourth-straight double-double – the 22nd of her career and team-leading eighth of the season – with 48 assists and a career-high-tying 17 digs, while also contributing a match-high five blocks as well.
Junior Taylor Kuper posted a team-high 18 digs to lead the Illini defensively.
The Terps (4-12) jumped out to an early 10-7 lead in the opening set, but the Illini came back to take a 14-13 advantage on a Vrankovic ace. After back-and-forth action, Maryland used a 5-1 run to pull ahead at 22-18, but the Illini answered back with six-straight points for a 24-22 edge. Three-straight points from the Terps then had the visitors poised to take the first, but the Illini finished off the period with the final three points for the 27-25 win.
The Illini scored the first four points of the second set and led at 8-4 following a Collins kill, but it all Terps from then as a 21-4 run gave the visitors a 25-12 set win and tied the match at 1-1.
In a set of back-and forth runs, the Illini held a 10-7 advantage early after a Terry kill. The Terps then came back to take an 18-15 advantage following a 7-1 run. Down three at 19-16, the Illini used a 5-1 run of their own for a 21-20 lead on a Kuper ace. Back-to-back scores gave the Terps the lead back at 22-21, but four-straight UI points finished off the 25-22 set win.
The fourth set saw 15 ties and six lead changes to make it the tightest of the match as the Terps grabbed the 15-12 advantage and held onto it until three-straight scores gave UI a 20-19 edge. Maryland answered back with a 5-2 run for the 24-22 lead, but kills from Terry and Vrankovic fought off two set points. The Terps then converted on back-to-back scores to take the fourth, 26-24 and force a decisive fifth set. Â
The Illini led from start to finish in the fifth, scoring the first three points of the stanza en route to a 7-4 advantage following a Maryland service error. The Terps would get as close as 7-5, but back-to-back Vrankovic kills stopped their momentum, before a Collins kills pushed the lead to 11-6. The two teams then traded points before back-to-back Terry kills sealed the 15-9 set victory and the 3-2 match win.
Next Up
The Illini wrap up their 2020-21 home schedule next weekend as they welcome in Indiana for Senior Weekend on March 26-27 in Huff Hall.
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