NASHVILLE – Illinois closed out the Lippy Invite with a five-set triumph over Lipscomb on Saturday night.
The Fighting Illini finished the non-conference slate at 8-2 while the Bisons dropped to 3-8.
As a team, the Orange and Blue posted 54 kills and a .271 hitting percentage. The squad added 58 digs, 49 assists, 12 blocks and nine service aces.
Raina Terry led the way with 23 kills and five aces in the match. Christina Martinez Mundo logged a season-high 26 digs while Cari Bohm and Laynie Smith amassed six blocks each.
HOW IT HAPPENED
The opening frame went back-and-forth with the Illini clinging to the 15-12 advantage at the media break. Averie Hernandez added back-to-back aces following the timeout, extending the five-point Orange and Blue lead. Three-straight including an ace from Terry resulted in the Bisons taking their final timeout with the Illini ahead, 22-16. A kill from Hernandez got the team to set point and a Lipscomb service error gave Illinois the 25-17 triumph in the first set.
The teams kept the second frame close, but a Lipscomb 4-0 rally resulted in an Illinois timeout with the Illini trailing 14-11. The Illini chipped away at the Bisons' lead, and Terry's third ace of the day helped a 3-0 rally that tied the knotted the frame at 21. However, the Illini could not retake the lead, falling 25-22.
With the match locked at a set apiece, back-to-back errors for Illinois gave the Bisons the 14-10 edge. The Fighting Illini cut the lead to a pair following a kill from Ashlyn Philpot, 15-13, but the opposition built back a four-point advantage late in the frame. With Terry behind the service line, the team added a 3-0 rally, leaving the Fighting Illini behind by just a score. It was not enough with the Orange and Blue dropping the set, 25-18.
The Illini held the momentum early in the fourth, owning the 7-2 edge when Lipscomb used its first break of the frame. The Orange and Blue added three out of the timeout, extending the Fighting Illini advantage to eight. A kill by Brooke Mosher helped the Fighting Illini earn the 14-6 edge, resulting in the Bisons' final timeout of the set. The Illini continued to cruise behind Terry's six kills in the set, taking the frame 25-15.
The decisive fifth set began with a 3-0 rally for the Illini with Martinez Mundo behind the service line, but the Bisons locked the set at four points apiece. Block from Bohm and Hernandez sent the squads into the media timeout with the Orange and Blue ahead, 8-6, but Lipscomb tied the set at nine following a 3-0 run. The Illini added three-straight out of the break including a pair of kills from Terry to help the Orange and Blue to the late 12-9 advantage. A kill from Philpot gave the Fighting Illini set point and an attack error by Lipscomb sealed the 15-10 triumph for Illinois.
UP NEXT
Big Ten play begins for Illinois when the team travels for a match at #12 Oregon on Friday. First serve is slated for 9:30 p.m. CT on FS1.
NOTES:
- Starters: Raina Terry, Brooke Mosher, Averie Hernandez, Cari Bohm, Ashlyn Philpot, Lily Barry, and Christina Martinez Mundo.
- The Illini wore long-sleeved white jerseys, moving to 4-0Â while donning those.
- The Illinois volleyball program and head coach Chris Tamas are now 2-0Â against Lipscomb.
- The Illini moved to 3-1Â in five-set matches.
- The team added its fifth double-digit block performance of the year.
- Terry and Martinez Mundo were named to the all-tournament team.
- Martinez Mundo added her second-straight 20-plus dig performance.
    - It was also the 35th of her collegiate career.
- The 23-kill performance for Terry was the 23rd time the outside hitter tallied 20-plus kills.
- In the final two sets, Terry tallied 10 kills and no errors.
- Terry's five aces were a new season-high for the Ohio native
- Attendance was called at 440.
