CHAMPAIGN, Ill. Illinois volleyball took down Northwestern in four sets at Huff Hall on Sunday afternoon.
The Fighting Illini improved to 9-5 this year with a 1-3 Big Ten record. The Wildcats dropped to 3-9 overall and 1-3 in league play.
As a team, the Orange and Blue hit .299 for the match with 59 kills. The Illini squad added 52 digs, 45 assists and nine blocks.
Four players earned double-digit kills as Ashlyn Philpot led the way with 14. Raina Terry tallied 13 kills while Averie Hernandez and Laynie Smith recorded 11 and 10 kills, respectively.
Brooke Mosher added her 18th career double-double, tallying 33 assists and 12 digs.
Defensively, Christina Martinez Mundo paced the squad with 15 digs while Lily Barry posted a season-high 11 digs. Both Philpot and Smith amassed five blocks each in the victory.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Fighting Illini offense came out stale to begin the match, trailing 7-4 in the opening frame. The team chipped away at the Wildcat advantage and back-to-back kills from Smith knotted the set at nine. Philpot knocked a Northwestern overpass to the floor, leaving the opposition to take a timeout with Illini clinging to the 13-10 advantage. Back-and-forth the teams battled, but a 3-0 run by Northwestern led to an Illinois timeout with the Wildcats ahead 19-18. Despite coming within a point down the stretch, back-to-back Orange and Blue errors concluded the 25-22 defeat in the opening frame.
Looking to bounce back in the second set, the 10-4 advantage favored the Fighting Illini following a 5-0 run for Illinois. Â With Martinez Mundo behind the service line, a 4-0 rally extended the 16-9 Orange and Blue lead. A kill by Smith got the Illini to set point and a long rally ended with a kill from Terry to close out the 25-19 triumph.
Illinois continued its hot streak into the third set, dominating to an 11-5 advantage before the first timeout was called. Following a kill from Hernandez, the Wildcats used their final break of the set with Illinois ahead, 15-6. The Illini used a timeout, holding onto the 21-15 edge, but the break did not stop the Orange and Blue as the team took the third frame, 25-18.
The Illini fell flat to begin the fourth set, allowing an early 4-0 run to the Wildcats. However, strong serving from Martinez Mundo helped knot the frame at four apiece. With each team fighting for every point, a 3-0 run favoring the Illini led to a Wildcat timeout with Illinois ahead 12-8. An ace by Hernandez extended the lead to six, 17-11 down the stretch. The Wildcats fended off a couple Illini set points but a monster block from Cari Bohm and Smith sealed the 25-19 victory and the four-set triumph.
UP NEXT
Illinois hits the road for a match at Michigan. First serve from Ann Arbor is slated for 6 p.m. CT on B1G+.
NOTES:
- Starters: Raina Terry, Brooke Mosher, Averie Hernandez, Cari Bohm, Ashlyn Philpot, Laynie Smith, and Christina Martinez Mundo.
- The Illini wore long-sleeved white jerseys, moving to 5-0 while donning those.
- The Illinois volleyball program is now 66-32 against Northwestern.
- Chris Tamas moved to 10-3 all-time against the Wildcats.
- Philpot's 13 kills were a career-best for the freshman.
- Barry's 11 digs were a season-best for the sophomore.
- Attendance was called at 2,829.
