University of Illinois
0-1,0-0Big Ten
Cincinnati
1-0,0-0Big 12
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cincinnati | 17 | 22 | 25 | 25 | 15 | 3 |
| Illinois | 25 | 25 | 16 | 23 | 12 | 2 |
Illinois Falls to Cincinnati in Season-Opening Five-Set Thriller
August 28, 2026 | Volleyball
NEWS
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois dropped its season opener to Cincinnati in a five-set thriller at Huff Hall on Friday night.
The Orange and Blue saw four players finish with double-digit kills, including a team-high 15 kills from Alyssa Aguayo. The sophomore outside hitter also tallied six digs and one block.
Paityn Chapman marked her Illini debut with her first-career double-double, registering 11 kills and a career-high 15 digs to go alongside three aces and three blocks.
Taylor de Boer posted 14 kills while swinging at a .306 clip, while Kristina Starostenko amassed 10 kills and four total blocks in her first collegiate match.
True freshman Maya Harris made her mark with 15 digs and two aces, while Kenna Phelan dished out 42 assists and added eight digs. Lindsay Oldendorf's Illini debut came with five kills and four blocks.
Illinois will close the weekend against Syracuse on Sunday afternoon at Huff Hall. First serve between the Fighting Illini and the Orange is set for 12 p.m. CT, while tickets are available at FightingIllini.com.
NOTES
- Paityn Chapman posted a double-double with 11 kills, 15 digs, three aces, and three blocks.
- Marked the first double-double of her collegiate career.
- Tallied a career-high 15 digs.
- Surpassed her previous career-high of eight.
- Equaled her career-best in aces with three.
- Were her most in a match since 2024.
- Taylor de Boer posted 14 kills while swinging at a .306 clip.
- Recorded double-digit kills for the 24th time in her career.
- Maya Harris marked her collegiate debut with 15 digs and two aces.
- Kristina Starostenko amassed 10 kills and four total blocks in her first collegiate match.
- Lindsay Oldendorf logged five kills and four blocks.
- Alyssa Aguayo accumulated 15 kills, six digs, one block, and an assist.
- Recorded her 20th outing with double-digit kills.
- Five players made their Illini debuts: Paityn Chapman, Talita Goncalves, Maya Harris, Lindsay Oldendorf, and Kristina Starostenko.
- The Illini moved to 11-4 against Cincinnati in the all-time series.
- Illinois moved to 7-3 in season openers under Chris Tamas.
- The Illini dropped to 0-1 when wearing white sleeveless jerseys.
- Illinois fell to 0-1 at Huff Hall this season.
- The Illini hosted their season opener for the first time since the 2016 campaign.
- Attendance was called at 2,282.
