CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Four Fighting Illini volleyball student-athletes earned academic recognition from the College Sports Communicators on Tuesday. Taylor de Boer, Averie Hernandez, Kenna Phelan, and Ashlyn Philpot were all named CSC Academic All-District honorees.
Hernandez earned the distinction for the second straight season, while de Boer, Phelan, and Philpot each secured Academic All-District accolades for the first time in their respective careers.
To be eligible, student-athletes must have at least a 3.50 cumulative grade point average (on a 4.0 scale) and either compete in at least 90% of the institution's matches played or start in at least 66% of the institution's contests.
Earning All-Big Ten Second Team and AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team honors, de Boer was also named an Academic All-Big Ten selection for the first time this fall. During the Illini's 2025 campaign, the Canada native finished the year with team-best marks in kills and points while setting career-highs in nearly every statistical category. The redshirt sophomore is majoring in recreation, sport, and tourism.
Hernandez completed her final year with the Fighting Illini in 2025, securing an Academic All-Big Ten nod. Posting double-digit digs in eight matches during her senior season, she logged a double-double in her final collegiate match. Hernandez is a communication major and is on track to graduate in May.
In her first season at Illinois, Phelan accumulated All-Big Ten Second Team and AVCA All-Region Honorable Mention status. On the court, she ranked fifth in the Big Ten with a career-best 9.74 assists/set, surpassing the 1,000-assist mark for the first time, while tallying 10 double-doubles. The Arkansas native is a junior majoring in studio art.
Philpot marked her second collegiate season with AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team honors in addition to CSC Academic All-District and Academic All-Big Ten distinction. The North Carolina native claimed career-highs in kills/set, hitting percentage, digs/set, and points/set during the 2025 campaign while logging double-digit kills in eight contests. She is a sophomore majoring in integrative biology.
