COLUMBUS, Ohio – The Fighting Illini extended their winning streak to four matches with a gritty four-set win at Ohio State on Friday night. Illinois improved to 6-1 in Big Ten play, continuing their best start to conference action since 2011.
Taylor de Boer finished the night with a team-high 17 kills, her seventh straight outing with double-digit kills. She also added three digs and made two total blocks.
Alyssa Aguayo collected 13 kills while tying her career-high with four blocks. Posting 10+ kills for the 12th time this season, the freshman also tallied eight digs and two assists.
Kayla Burbage recorded nine kills, five blocks, and an ace, while Ashlyn Philpot equaled her season-high with seven blocks in addition to her six kills.
Kenna Phelan posted her fifth double-double of the season with 43 assists and a career-high 21 digs. She also tacked on three kills and three blocks.
Taryn Kirsch totaled 13 digs, while Averie Hernandez amassed 10 digs. Kenzie Cogan collected nine digs.
With the first set even at 10, the Buckeyes began a 7-2 scoring stretch to establish a 17-12 advantage. After Illinois called a timeout, the visitors began to battle back via a 9-2 run with Cogan and Vivian Campbell at the service line, which turned a five-point deficit into a two-point Illini edge. Closing out the frame with back-to-back kills from de Boer, the Orange and Blue secured the set, 25-22.
Though the away side opened the second frame with a 3-0 run, the hosts responded with a 4-1 run to knot the frame at 4. Shortly after, the score level at 9-9, Ohio State opened up a 12-9 lead before lengthening their advantage to five, 18-13. The Buckeyes' edge never dropped below three after that point, with the home side claiming the frame, 25-20.
The sides traded points early in the third set, and Ohio State eventually entered the media timeout with a narrow 15-14 lead. After the Buckeyes' advantage ballooned up to 17-14, the Illini called a timeout in hopes of shifting the momentum. With the score 21-19 in OSU's favor, the Orange and Blue closed the set on a 6-0 run with Hernandez at the service line, giving the visitors a 25-21 decision.
In the fourth set, Illinois went ahead by three, leading to a Buckeye timeout with the home side facing a 10-7 deficit. Ohio State went in front shortly after, though, using a 5-1 run to take their first lead of the frame, 12-11. The hosts briefly went up by two, but a 7-3 stretch put the Illini up to match point. The Buckeyes fought off two match points, but the Illini posted the final two points of the night to close out the four-set victory.
NOTES
- Taryn Kirsch totaled 13 digs and dished out two assists.
- Totaled double-digit digs for the eighth time.
- Has 10+ digs in three of the last four matches and in four of the last six.
- Taylor de Boer finished the night with a team-high 17 kills, three digs, and two blocks.
- Had double-digit kills for the 14th time this season.
- Has 10+ kills in all seven Big Ten matches and in nine of her last 10 appearances overall.
- Made multiple blocks for the fifth time this season.
- Has multiple blocks in back-to-back matches.
- Kenna Phelan posted her fifth double-double of the season with 43 assists and a career-high 21 digs, along with three kills and three blocks.
- Dished out 40+ assists for the fifth time this season.
- Has 40+ assists in three of the last four matches.
- Posted her fifth double-double of the season.
- Four of her five double-doubles have come in road matches.
- Phelan became the first Illini to post a 40-assist, 20-dig double-double since Jordyn Poulter did so on Sept. 16, 2017, at Missouri State (47 assists, 23 digs).
- Finished the night with a career-high 21 digs.
- Registered the first 20-dig outing of her career.
- Logged at least three blocks for the fifth time this season.
- Has multiple blocks in seven outings.
- Averie Hernandez amassed 10 digs.
- Notched double-digit digs for the fifth time this season.
- Kayla Burbage recorded nine kills, five blocks, and an ace.
- Had 5+ blocks for the fifth time this season.
- Has made at least five blocks in each of the last four matches, a season-best streak.
- Has at least three blocks in each of the last 11 matches.
- Tallied her seventh ace of the season.
- Ashlyn Philpot equaled her season-high with seven blocks in addition to her six kills.
- Tied her season-best output with seven blocks.
- Logged at least three blocks for the 13th time this season and for the sixth consecutive match.
- Has multiple blocks in 15 of her 16 appearances this season.
- Had 6+ kills for the fourth straight match and for the 12th time overall.
- Alyssa Aguayo collected 13 kills, four blocks, eight digs, and two assists.
- Tallied 10+ kills for the 12th time this season.
- Has double-digit kills in three of her last four appearances.
- Tied her career-high with four total blocks.
- Has multiple blocks in seven matches this season.
- Made at least eight digs for the eighth time this season.
- Illinois finished with a season-high 73 digs as a team.
- Three players had 10+ digs: Phelan (21), Kirsch (13), and Hernandez (10).
- The Illini's 73 digs are their most since posting 75 at Wisconsin on Oct. 2, 2022.
- With a 6-1 Big Ten record, the Illini are off to their best start to conference play since 2011, when Illinois won its first nine Big Ten matches.
- Head coach Chris Tamas moved to 160-99 overall during his time at the helm of the Illini.
- Illinois extended its winning streak to four matches, its longest streak of the season.
- The Illini moved to 48-46 all-time against Ohio State.
- UI holds a 19-21 record against the Buckeyes in true road matches.
- The Illini defeated the Buckeyes on the road for the first time since Nov. 24, 2019, snapping a two-match skid.
- Illinois is now 4-4 in four-set matches this season.
- Illinois is now 6-2 in true road matches this season.
- The Illini moved to 4-0 when wearing navy sleeveless jerseys.
UP NEXT
Illinois (11-5, 6-1 B1G) wraps up its four-match road swing on Sunday afternoon with an in-state battle at Northwestern. First serve between the Fighting Illini and the Wildcats at Welsh-Ryan Arena is set for 2 p.m. CT and will stream on B1G+.
