Eli Sharping Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Eli Sharping Assistant Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Illinois volleyball will host Illinois State at Huff Hall on Tuesday, September 3rd, at 7 p.m. CT for their home opener. The match will be broadcast on B1G+ and an audio stream will be available on FightingIllini.com/live with Tim Ditman.
The Illini, led by head coach Chris Tamas in his eighth season, hold a 2-0 record after victories against Cincinnati and Bowling Green at the Best Western Invitational. Raina Terry was named tournament MVP, with Laynie Smith and Brooke Mosher also receiving all-tournament honors.
Raina Terry returns for her final season with the team. Last year, she led the Big Ten with 618 total points and ranked third with 539 total kills. She achieved national rankings of sixth in kills per set (4.69) and seventh in points per set (5.37). Terry's performance included ten matches with 20 or more kills and three double-doubles.
Freshmen have made significant contributions this season. Laynie Smith recorded 11 kills in her debut against Cincinnati, while Ashlyn Philpot tallied seven blocks in each of her first two matches.
Illinois State enters the match with a 1-2 record after competing at the Linda Herman Volleyball Classic. The Redbirds were predicted to finish fourth in the Missouri Valley Conference preseason poll.
The Fighting Illini have added eight newcomers to their roster this year, including four freshmen: Kenzie Cogan, Ashlyn Philpot, Christine Pullen, and Laynie Smith. Four transfer students—Raegen Reilly, Averie Hernandez, Vivian Campbell, and Christina Martinez Mundo—have also joined the team.
Jordyn Poulter represented the United States at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris this summer, helping Team USA secure a silver medal. Poulter is one of eight Big Ten players who made the U.S. roster for the Olympics.
For a third straight year, Raina Terry was named to the Big Ten Preseason Team. She has been a consistent performer since joining Illinois and ranks high in several career categories for both kills and service aces.
Last season under Tamas' leadership, Illinois posted a 16-14 overall record with an 11-9 mark in Big Ten play. They achieved notable victories including a win over then-No. 16 Purdue and tallied double-digit blocks in twelve contests.
Chris Tamas has led Illinois to four NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure as head coach since being appointed in February 2017.
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