Chris Tamas Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Chris Tamas Head Coach | University of Illinois Division of Intercollegiate Athletics Website
Illinois faced a challenging match against Nebraska, ranked second nationally, resulting in a straight-sets loss on Thursday night at Huff Hall. The event attracted a sellout crowd of 4,352, marking the fifth-largest home attendance in Illinois volleyball history.
The Fighting Illini's current record stands at 8-5 overall and 0-3 in Big Ten play. Nebraska improved its record to 13-1 overall and 3-0 within the conference.
Raina Terry was a standout for Illinois, achieving her third double-double of the season with 13 kills and 10 digs. Averie Hernandez contributed significantly in the second set with seven of her 11 total kills and added an ace during the match's opening serve. Christina Martinez Mundo led the team defensively with 12 digs.
The match began with Illinois taking an early lead thanks to Hernandez's serving but was quickly countered by Nebraska's scoring runs. Despite efforts from players like Brooke Mosher and Raegen Reilly, who each had significant service runs that briefly put Illinois ahead, Nebraska secured each set: 25-18, 25-22, and finally 25-17.
Looking ahead, Illinois will face Northwestern at Huff Hall on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT on B1G+.
Key points from the match include Raina Terry moving into second place in program history for career kills with a total of 1,840 and third in career points with 2,173.5. The Illini wore sleeveless white jerseys for the first time this season and now hold a historical record of 8-35-1 against Nebraska under coach Chris Tamas' leadership.
Attendance figures highlight the strong support for Illinois volleyball, noting it as the largest turnout since October 4th, 2014.
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