Philpot, de Boer Earn AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team Recognition

LEXINGTON, Ky. – Illinois volleyball saw three student-athletes secure AVCA All-Region honors following the 2025 season, the American Volleyball Coaches Association announced on Tuesday. 

Taylor de Boer and Ashlyn Philpot earned spots on the AVCA All-Midwest Region First Team, while Kenna Phelan claimed Honorable Mention status.

The Fighting Illini have now had at least one student-athlete achieve AVCA All-Region honors for the 13th consecutive season. The Orange and Blue have multiple All-Region selections for the first time since 2018, when Ali Bastianelli, Jordyn Poulter, and Jacqueline Quade all garnered the recognition.

After being named to the All-Big Ten Second Team for the first time in her career on Dec. 2, de Boer adds AVCA All-Region status to her impressive 2025 resume. The Canada native set several career-bests during her redshirt sophomore campaign and finished the year with team-best marks in kills and points, ranking in the top 10 in the Big Ten in kills and kills/set.

Philpot put together a solid sophomore season after securing Big Ten All-Freshman honors in 2024. The middle blocker set career-highs in kills/set, hitting percentage, digs/set, and points/set during the 2025 campaign while logging double-digit kills in eight contests. The North Carolina native ranked ninth in the Big Ten in hitting percentage among eligible student-athletes, swinging at a career-best .357 clip. 

Following her first season at Illinois, Phelan garnered All-Region Honorable Mention accolades after being named to the 2025 All-Big Ten Second Team. She finished fifth in the conference with a career-high 9.74 assists/set while totaling over 1,000 assists in a season for the first time in her collegiate career. The Arkansas native registered 10 double-doubles, and she was named the Big Ten Setter of the Week on Sept. 29, the first Illini to earn that distinction since 2021.

With their All-Midwest Region selections, de Boer, Phelan, and Philpot are eligible to earn spots on the AVCA All-America teams, which will be announced on Dec. 17.