Fighting Illini Fall in Five to Mizzou at Lippy Invite

NASHVILLE – Illinois volleyball dropped a five-set match to Missouri at the Lippy Invite on Friday.

The Fighting Illini moved to 7-2 this season while Mizzou finished its non-conference slate with a 7-3 record.

As a team, the Orange and Blue recorded 55 kills while posting a .226 hitting percentage. The team logged double-digit roofs for the fourth time this season with 10 blocks in the loss.

Individually, Raina Terry led the way with 18 kills while Averie Hernandez and Laynie Smith tallied 12 and 10, respectively. Defensively, Ashlyn Philpot amassed eight blocks while Christina Martinez Mundo recorded her first 20-dig match with the Illini.

HOW IT HAPPENED

Illinois stumbled in the early goings of the match, allowing a five-point run to start the opening frame. An attack error by the Tigers brought the Illini within a score but at the media break, Illinois trailed 15-11. Despite the Fighting Illini burning their final timeout while trailing 22-15, the deficit was too much to overcome, and the team fell 25-17.

The teams went back-and-forth early in the second set, but the Orange and Blue broke through with a 5-0 run with Brooke Mosher serving to take the 13-9 lead. However, the advantage did not last long as a three-point rally put the Tigers ahead, 17-16.  Late in the set, Terry rattled off an ace to cap off a 3-0 run for the 23-21 Illini edge. An attack error by the Tigers got Illinois to set point and a service error by Mizzou sealed the second set victory, 25-22.

Knotted at a set apiece, Mizzou held a slight 14-12 edge before Illinois used its first timeout of the third frame. A Terry kill capped off three-straight for the Orange and Blue, tying the set at 15. Point-for-point the teams continued to battle, but a 19-17 Mizzou advantage led to the Illini's final break of the frame. The opposition maintained its momentum late in the set, leaving Illinois down 2-1 following the 25-21 defeat.

With the Illini in a must-win situation, the Orange and Blue rallied to hold the 15-12 at the media break following a block from Philpot and Terry. Missouri did not go away quietly, with the Illini needing a timeout leading 20-18 following a pair of points for the Tigers. The Orange and Blue added three-straight, including a kill from Hernandez, resulting in Mizzou's final timeout with the Illini ahead 23-18. A kill by Smith forced a decisive set with Illinois taking the fourth frame, 25-20.

The Illini came out flat in the final frame, falling behind 5-2 before using a timeout.  The team locked the set at seven following an error by the opposition, but when it came time to switch sides, the Orange and Blue trailed 8-7. Illinois was unable to gain the lead late in the set, dropping the final frame 15-12.

UP NEXT

The Orange and Blue battles tournament host Lipscomb on Saturday at 6 p.m. on ESPN+

NOTES:
- Starters: Raina Terry, Brooke Mosher, Averie Hernandez, Cari Bohm, Ashlyn Philpot, Lily Barry, and Christina Martinez Mundo.
- The Illini wore long-sleeved orange jerseys, moving to 1-1 while donning those.
- The Illinois volleyball program is now 7-2-1 against Mizzou.
- Illinois moved to 2-1 in five-set matches.
- Martinez Mundo's 20 dig performance was her first with the Orange and Blue and 34th of her career
- Terry's 1,784 career kills currently rank the outside hitter in fourth place all-time.
- Chris Tamas moved to 1-1 all-time against the Tigers.
- Attendance was called at 110.