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 faced a challenging match against Nebraska, resulting in a straight-set loss at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Friday night. The Fighting Illini's record now stands at 13-6 overall and 5-4 in Big Ten play, while the Huskers improved to 19-1 and remain undefeated in league action.
The Illini managed a .217 hitting percentage with 41 kills. Raina Terry led all players with 15 kills, hitting .213. Brooke Mosher contributed significantly with 31 assists, and Christina Martinez Mundo topped the team's defense with 13 digs.
In the first set, Illinois struggled initially and trailed Nebraska by three points at the media break. Despite efforts to close the gap, including a kill from Terry, Nebraska secured the set with a score of 25-17.
The second set saw Illinois trailing early after a 4-0 run by Nebraska. Although Ashlyn Philpot and Averie Hernandez narrowed the deficit to two points, Illinois could not maintain momentum and lost the set 25-19 after another late run by Nebraska.
Illinois showed resilience in the third set, taking an early lead following a service ace by Terry. A block from Hernandez and Cari Bohm kept them ahead briefly before Nebraska pulled ahead again. Despite tying the frame at 17 each through Laynie Smith's efforts, Illinois eventually succumbed to a tight finish of 28-26.
Looking ahead, Illinois will continue their road trip with an upcoming match against Iowa on Sunday at Xtreme Arena.
Noteworthy points include:
- Starters for Illinois were Raina Terry, Brooke Mosher, Averie Hernandez, Cari Bohm, Ashlyn Philpot, Laynie Smith, and Christina Martinez Mundo.
- The team wore short-sleeved navy jerseys during this match.
- Historically against Nebraska, Illinois holds an unfavorable record of 8 wins to 32 losses.
- Head coach Chris Tamas has recorded one win against Nebraska out of fourteen encounters.
- Raina Terry has achieved significant career milestones with her performance tallying up to date.
Attendance for this match was reported as 8,551 spectators.
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