Chambana Sun

Illinois volleyball coach Chris Tamas announced on Monday the addition of Auburn Tomkinson to the Fighting Illini squad. Tomkinson, originally from Carlsbad, California, began her collegiate career at Texas from 2023 to 2024 and was part of the team that won a National Championship in 2023.

Tomkinson's volleyball journey includes being a three-year starter at Carlsbad High School. She earned numerous accolades such as the 2022 AVCA High School All-Region and Third Team High School All-American honors. Additionally, she was named to the 2022 AVCA Best & Brightest first team and participated in the USA Volleyball NTDP Training Series alongside notable players like Lily Barry and Ashlyn Philpot.

Her achievements extend beyond high school as she made it to several all-tournament teams in 2022, including the Prep Volleyball GJNC All-Tournament Honorable Mention and both Big South Qualifier and Las Vegas Red Rock Rave Qualifier All-Tournament Teams. Tomkinson also competed in track and field during high school.

Coming from an athletic family, Auburn is the daughter of Kristin and Andy Tomkinson, both former volleyball players with professional experience.

Coach Tamas expressed enthusiasm about Tomkinson joining Illinois: "Auburn has been at a high level ever since we saw her several years ago as a youth player and through to today. She has elite blocking skills, and she has use of a variety of shots that make her a great combination of defense and offense. We look forward to working with her in our spring training block."

When asked why she chose Illinois, Tomkinson stated: "I chose Illinois specifically for its program culture and commitment to excellence. This along with the high level volleyball and amazing academics makes Illinois the ideal choice for me!"