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 team faced a challenging match in their NCAA Tournament opener against Northern Iowa, ranked eighth, at the KFC Yum! Center in Louisville. The Fighting Illini were defeated in four sets, ending their season with an 18-13 record while UNI improved to 26-7.
Raina Terry and Averie Hernandez led Illinois offensively with 18 and 14 kills respectively. On the defensive side, Christina Martinez Mundo contributed significantly with 23 digs, and Cari Bohm added six blocks.
The match began unfavorably for Illinois as they struggled in the first set, trailing early due to a three-point run by Northern Iowa. Despite efforts to regain momentum, the Illini lost the opening set 25-16.
In the second set, Illinois attempted to recover but fell behind after another series of points by UNI, eventually losing again by the same score of 25-16.
The third set saw a strong start from Illinois with a five-point run that forced UNI into a timeout. The Illini maintained their lead throughout the set, securing a 25-16 victory.
However, in the fourth set, Northern Iowa regained control early on and maintained their advantage despite Illinois' attempts to close the gap. The final set ended 25-21 in favor of UNI, concluding the match.
Key players for Illinois included starters Raina Terry, Brooke Mosher, Averie Hernandez, Cari Bohm, Ashlyn Philpot, Laynie Smith, and Christina Martinez Mundo. Notably, Terry ended her collegiate career as Illinois' all-time leader in aces (220), kills (2,138), and points (2,522). Martinez Mundo also finished her career with an impressive total of 2,209 digs.
Illinois concludes its season having won five out of nine matches wearing orange jerseys. Their historical record against UNI now stands at three wins to one loss. Coach Chris Tamas is now even at one win and one loss against Northern Iowa in his coaching career.
Following this season's end, Illinois will bid farewell to six seniors: Caroline Barnes, Sarah Bingham, Kayla Burbage, Christina Martinez Mundo, Raegen Reilly and Raina Terry.
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