Fighting Illini Break Out Brooms against Ohio State

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois volleyball team ended a three game homestand with a sweep of Ohio State on Saturday at Huff Hall.

The Fighting Illini improved to 17-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play. The Buckeyes dropped to 11-13 on the season and 4-10 in the Big Ten, ending their three game winning streak. 

Averie Hernandez and Ashlyn Philpot led the way with 11 kills while Philpot also added an impressive .667 hitting percentage and six blocks. Brooke Mosher logged a double-double with 37 assists and 14 digs. Christina Martinez Mundo recorded a team-best 15 digs.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Philpot got things going for the Illini with two kills to gain an early 4-1 lead. Both sides battled back-and-forth, before a block by Mosher and Philpot forced the Buckeyes to use their first timeout of the set, with the Illini ahead 12-7. 

Illinois came out of the break on a mission, going on a 6-1 run pushing the Orange and Blue lead to 10, 18-8. The Illini continued to keep their foot on the gas, as a kill by Raina Terry brought them to set point leading 24-14. Despite a 4-0 run by the opposition, a Philpot kill eventually ended the first, 25-18.

The Buckeyes jumped out to an early 5-3 lead, before Hernandez and Terry made it 7-6 in favor of the Illini with a kill each. With the score knotted, 7-7, another Hernandez kill started a 6-2 Illini run as they took a 13-9 lead. Ohio State punched back with a 4-0 run of their own forcing Illinois to burn their first timeout tied 13-13.

Out of the timeout, the Orange and Blue went on to gain a 17-14 lead thanks to back-to-back Terry aces followed by a Buckeye timeout. Leading 23-22 a Philpot kill gave the Illini set point up two. The visitors refused to go away quietly, cutting the deficit and leaving the Fighting Illini clinging to a 25-24 lead, holding set point for the first time in the match. Back-to-back Hernandez kills gave the Illini a 26-25 advantage and a block by Mosher and Bohm ended things in the second frame as Illinois took the set, 27-25. 

Illinois rode the momentum from the previous set, going up 3-1 to start the third. With the Illini ahead, 5-4, three straight kills by Hernandez led OSU to call for a timeout with the score 8-4. The stoppage didn't slow down the Illini, as a pair of blocks and three Buckeye errors helped make it 14-6. 

Ohio State did their best to keep it close, still trailing by six when Mosher and Hernandez each tallied a kill to make it 20-12 as the opposition called their final timeout. Out of the break, the Buckeyes went on a 8-1 run of their own to bring it within a pair, 21-19. Illinois responded by closing out the set on a 4-1 rally, as Philpot closed the frame with a kill to take the set 25-20, and complete the sweep. 

UP NEXT
The Fighting Illini head to University Park,  Pa. to face #3 Penn State on Friday. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. 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 7-0 while donning those.
- The Illinois volleyball program is now 47-46 against Ohio State.
- Chris Tamas improved to 7-5 all-time against the Buckeyes.
- Illinois never trailed in the opening set.
- The Illini won the second set in extra points for the second-straight match.
- There were 11 ties and five lead changes in the second set.
- Illinois held Ohio State to a .026 (10-9-39) hitting percentage in the final frame.
-  The 12 blocks were the 13th time this year the team has logged double-digit roofs.
- Mosher's double-double was the 21st of her career and sixth this year.
- The setter's five blocks were a season best.
- Attendance was called at 3,335