Fighting Illini Earn Senior Day Sweep Against Iowa

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - On a sentimental Senior Day at Huff Hall, the Illinois volleyball team triumphed over Iowa in straight sets to record the Illini's eighth sweep this season

The Fighting Illini's fourth-straight victory helped the team improve to 15-13 overall and 11-8 in Big Ten play. Iowa dropped to 8-21 this year and 2-16 against conference opponents.

The Illini started the match slow, with the Hawkeyes taking an early 3-1 lead following a service error by the Orange and Blue. Three-straight kills by Jessica Nunge helped the Illini creep within a point and an ace by Becca Sakoda tied the opening set at nine apiece. A four-point turn followed for Iowa, leading to an Illinois timeout while trailing 13-9. A Brooke Mosher kill sparked a 4-0 rally for the Illini, leading to a timeout by the opposition with Illinois holding onto the 15-14 edge. The Fighting Illini added a pair following the break, but Iowa did not go away quietly, climbing back withing a score. However, three-straight for the Illini soured the Hawkeyes comeback attempt, forcing the opposition to burn its final timeout with the Illini ahead, 22-18. Nunge gave the Fighting Illini set point and despite the Hawkeyes fending off a pair of attempts, Mosher put away the 25-23 win in the opening set with a kill.

The second set began as a back-and-forth battle but a 5-0 run that included and ace from Diana Brown led to an Iowa timeout with the Illini leading 12-9.  The Fighting lliini continued to cruise posting a 4-0 run to lead 19-11 late in the set before the Hawkeyes used their final timeout. A 3-0 rally gave Illinois set point and a Kyla Swanson kill out of the middle concluded the Illini's 25-15 triumph in the second stanza.

Illinois fell behind early, calling a timeout after back-to-back kills gave Iowa the 11-7 advantage. The Hawkeyes built on their lead, with three unanswered points putting the Orange and Blue behind 17-11. The Illini charged back, stringing together a 3-0 run to trail 22-19 late in the set. Another 3-0 turn favored Illinois, with Mosher and Raina Terry kills leading to Iowa's final timeout with the Orange and Blue trailing 23-22. The teams continued to battle with a block by Kennedy Collins and Mosher tying the set. Despite Iowa reaching set point first, the Illini scored three-straight and an attack error by Iowa closed out the 26-24 victory for Illinois in the final frame. 

Terry and Nunge paced the squad with 11 kills each. Brown added her 52^nd career double-double when she led the Illini with 28 assists and 13 digs. Collins and Mosher tallied six total blocks each for the Orange and Blue.

Notes:

Starters: Kennedy Collins, Rylee Hinton, Diana Brown, Jessica Nunge, Caroline Barnes, Raina Terry and Brooke Mosher 

All five Illini seniors appeared in the match

Illinois has won its home regular season finale for nine-straight years dating back to the 2014 season.

The Illini wore long-sleeved white jerseys for the fifth time this season and are now 3-2 when wearing those.

Illinois is 67-14 all-time against Iowa with a 37-4 record at home

Attendance was called at 2,256