University of Illinois
10-3,2-0Big Ten
USC
7-5,1-1Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Southern California | 21 | 23 | 21 | 0 |
| Illinois | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Fighting Illini Sweep #23 USC, Secure Second Ranked B1G Win in Three Days
September 26, 2026 | Volleyball
RECAP
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – Illinois closed its Big Ten-opening homestand with its second ranked win of the week, defeating #23 USC in straight sets at Huff Hall on Saturday night.
The Fighting Illini, on a six-match winning streak, are now 10-3 and have secured ranked victories in consecutive matches for the first time since 2019.
Alyssa Aguayo led the Illini with 18 kills, tying her career-best mark while hitting at a whopping .500 clip and adding eight digs, two blocks, and an ace. She posted just one error on 34 swings.
Kristina Starostenko collected seven kills and two blocks, while Ashlyn Philpot finished with six kills and four total stuffs.
Paityn Chapman posted five kills, four blocks, and a team-high 15 digs, while Talita Goncalves tallied 13 digs of her own.
Kenna Phelan ended the night with 36 assists, nine digs, two kills, and an ace.
Taylor de Boer recorded the 500th kill of her collegiate career during the contest, while Maya Harris had seven digs and a kill.
With neither side able to pull away early in the opening set, the Illini used a 5-0 run to head into the media timeout with a 15-11 advantage. USC headed out of the break with a 3-0 stretch, though Illinois posted a 3-0 run of its own to retake a four-point edge. The Orange and Blue's lead moved to two later in the frame, but the hosts accounted for three of the final four points to take the opener, 25-21.
The Illini jumped out to a 6-2 lead in the second set, and that advantage soon grew to six before the Women of Troy halved their deficit via a 3-0 run. Illinois lengthened its lead to five, but the Trojans continued to battle, trimming the Illini advantage down to two late. Despite USC fighting off two set points, the Illini doubled their lead in the match via a 25-23 decision in the second set.
Illinois reached the media timeout in the third frame with a 15-11 edge, though the Trojans accounted for eight of the next 11 points to go in front for the first time. The Illini did not trail for long, though, closing the match on a 6-1 scoring stretch to secure the sweep.
Illinois (10-3, 2-0 B1G) continues Big Ten play with a trip to the Pacific Northwest next week. The Fighting Illini will take on Washington on Friday night before facing off with #20 Oregon on Sunday afternoon.
NOTES
- Alyssa Aguayo posted 18 kills, eight digs, two blocks, and an ace.
- Tied her career-high and set a new season-best mark with her 18 kills.
- Her 18 kills are tied for the most by an Illini this season.
- Has 10+ kills in six matches this season.
- Set a new season-best hitting percentage of .500.
- Had only one error in the match on 34 total swings.
- Has at least eight digs in five outings.
- Made multiple blocks for the seventh time.
- Tied her career-high and set a new season-best mark with her 18 kills.
- Paityn Chapman collected five kills, 15 digs, and four blocks.
- Posted her fifth outing of the year with double-digit digs.
- Has 15+ digs in three matches.
- Made at least four blocks for the second time this season.
- Has multiple blocks in four consecutive outings.
- Posted her fifth outing of the year with double-digit digs.
- Kristina Starostenko totaled seven kills and two blocks.
- Had at least seven kills for the eighth time this season.
- Has 7+ kills in three straight matches and in five of the last six.
- Had at least seven kills for the eighth time this season.
- Ashlyn Philpot finished with six kills and four total blocks.
- Had at least four blocks for the third time.
- Talita Goncalves totaled 13 digs along with three assists and an ace.
- Now has double-digit digs in 11 consecutive matches.
- Recorded an ace for the fourth time this season.
- Kenna Phelan filled the stat sheet with 36 assists, nine digs, two kills, and an ace.
- Had multiple kills for the sixth time this season.
- Has at least nine digs in six appearances.
- The Illini hit .301 as a team against the Trojans.
- Illinois hit at least .300 for the seventh time this season.
- Illinois recorded 54 digs in the contest.
- The Illini had 50+ digs for the sixth time this season.
- Illinois has at least 50 digs in four straight matches.
- The Illini posted their second ranked win of the season.
- Illinois now has multiple ranked wins in a season for the first time since 2021.
- The Illini have defeated multiple ranked Big Ten opponents in the same season for the first time since 2021.
- Illinois has ranked wins in back-to-back matches for the first time since the 2019 season, when the Illini defeated #19 Tennessee on Aug. 30 and Sept. 1 in back-to-back matches to start the year.
- The Illini have multiple ranked home wins for the first time since the 2018 season.
- Illinois recorded its first sweep over a ranked opponent since Dec. 7, 2018, vs. #15 Marquette in the NCAA Tournament.
- Illinois extended its winning streak to six matches.
- The Illini are on their longest winning streak since the 2024 season, when they started 6-0.
- The Illini are now 7-2 in three-set contests this season.
- Illinois is now 5-1 at Huff Hall this season.
- The Illini have won five straight home matches.
- The Illini are now 5-4 in the all-time series against USC.
- The Illini are now 3-1 when wearing white sleeveless jerseys.
