CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – A five-set thriller against #20 USC favored the Fighting Illini as Illinois volleyball pulled out the upset at Huff Hall on Friday night.
The Fighting Illini improved to 16-7 this year with an 8-5 Big Ten record. The ranked Trojans dropped to 16-7 on the year with an 8-5 league mark.
Raina Terry recorded the 2,000th kill of her career in the third set, ultimately finishing the match with 18 kills. As the program record holder for career kills, the accomplishment marked a first in program history.
Averie Hernandez amassed double-digit kills for the 10th time this year, logging 16 in the match. Ashlyn Philpot was the third Illini to tally double-digit kills, posting a career best 17 kills.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The Trojans went ahead 3-1 early, but the Illini answered with back-to-back points to even the set at 3-3. After USC restored its two-point edge shortly after, Illinois used a 4-0 run to take its first lead of the night, a stretch that included a block and two kills from Hernandez.
The visitors did not trail for long, though, with USC retaking the lead with a 3-0 run and eventually forcing an Illini timeout with the Trojans in front, 13-11.
Soon trailing by three, the Orange and Blue began their comeback with a 5-1 run. Back-to-back kills from Hernandez finished off the Illini scoring run and led to a Trojan timeout with the hosts narrowly in front, 16-15.
USC then established a 20-18 edge via a 3-0 run, which saw Illinois use its final stoppage of the opening frame. Neither team led by more than four in the opening set, but the Trojans never let their advantage slip away and eventually took the first frame, 25-21.
The Illini fell behind early in the second set, but a 3-0 run saw the home side level the frame at 4-4. USC won five of the next seven points to establish a three-point edge, but a back-and-forth battle brought Illinois within two, 15-13, at the media intermission.
The Trojans claimed the next two points after the brief stoppage, forcing the Illini to use their first timeout of the set. The break was effective, as the Orange and Blue moved within a single point via a 4-1 run, but USC retook a three-point edge, 20-17, and forced Illinois to call its final timeout.
Behind 21-17, the Illini took their first lead of the set at 22-21 behind a 5-0 scoring stretch, and the team eventually held set point following an ace from Terry. The set moved into extra points with the Illini scoring three straight to close out the 29-27 triumph.
With the match evened at a set apiece, USC jumped out to an early 5-2 advantage before a run with Terry behind the service line led Illinois to the 7-5 edge. The teams kept the frame tight with USC owning the one-point advantage at the media break.
Back-to-back points for the opposition late in the set left the Orange and Blue looking for a reprieve trailing 20-18. Terry knotted the set at 22 following an ace, leading to a Trojan timeout, but the Illini outside hitter added her fifth strike from the service line out of the break.
With a USC attack error helping Illinois to set point, a kill from Philpot put away the 25-23 win in the third.
The teams fought back-and-forth with a Brooke Mosher kill giving Illinois the slight 15-14 edge at the media timeout. However, the Trojans did not go away quietly, earning an 8-0 run to take the 21-15 lead out of the break. The Illini continued to struggle and dropped the frame 25-17.
Illinois came out hot in the fifth, scoring three straight. But USC answered, locking the frame at three. An error by the opposition put Illinois ahead, 8-7, when it came time to switch sides of the floor.
Following back-to-back kills from Philpot and Terry, USC burned it first timeout of the set with the Orange and Blue clinging to the 11-9 advantage. Illinois took a timeout with USC's strongest server behind the line and the Fighting Illini ahead 13-12. The Trojans sent the serve into the net, giving Illinois match point, and Philpot knocked down a kill to seal the 15-12 victory in the fifth set and the triumph in the match
UP NEXT
Illinois closes out its three-match homestand on Saturday night against Ohio State. First serve is scheduled for 7 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 orange jerseys, moving to 5-2 while donning those.
- The Illinois volleyball program is now 4-3 against USC.
- Chris Tamas improved to 1-1 all-time against the Trojans.
- Illinois moved to 1-4 against ranked opponents.
- There were 41 ties and 22 lead changes in the entire match.
- The 11 blocks were the 12th time this year the team has logged double-digit roofs.
- Philpot posted a new career high for kills with 17 in the victory.
- Terry tallied her 25th career double-double and eighth of the year when she posted 18 kills and 11 digs.
- The five aces from Terry tied her season best.
- Lily Barry tied her season high of 11 digs.
- Hernandez recorded a career-best six blocks.
- Attendance was called at 2,863.
