Chambana Sun

The University of Illinois Fighting Illini women's volleyball team extended its winning streak to five matches after defeating Northwestern in straight sets at Welsh-Ryan Arena on Sunday. The win concludes a four-match road trip for Illinois, which now holds a 7-1 record in Big Ten conference play and a 12-5 overall record.

Taylor de Boer led the team with 14 kills, marking her eighth consecutive match with double-digit kills. "Taylor de Boer tallied a team-high 14 kills, her eighth straight effort with 10+ kills. She also made two digs while leading the team in kills for the 13th time this season," according to the team's report.

Alyssa Aguayo contributed 12 kills and achieved a career-best .423 hitting percentage, along with seven digs, four assists, three blocks, and an ace. "Alyssa Aguayo posted her third consecutive outing in double figures with 12 kills and a career-best .423 hitting percentage. She also filled the stat sheet with seven digs, four assists, three blocks, and an ace," as stated by the team.

Other notable performances included Auburn Tomkinson and Ashlyn Philpot each recording six kills, while Kenna Phelan registered 31 assists along with eight digs, four kills, and an ace.

Illinois overcame early deficits in all three sets against Northwestern. In the first set, they turned an 11-8 deficit into a lead with a 10-3 run and closed out the frame 25-22. The second set saw Illinois use a 5-1 run to take control before holding off a late push from Northwestern to win by the same score. In the third set, Illinois came back from being down by four points early to secure a tight 27-25 victory.

With this win, Illinois has matched its best start to conference play since 2011 when it began Big Ten competition with nine straight victories. The current four-match road winning streak is their longest since October-November of 2021.

Head coach Chris Tamas improved his record at Illinois to 161 wins and 99 losses during his tenure.

Illinois now leads the all-time series against Northwestern with a record of 68-32 and holds a 28-16 advantage in true road matches against the Wildcats. The team is also now 6-1 in three-set matches this season and has won seven out of nine true road contests.

Next weekend, Illinois returns home to Huff Hall for matches against #12 Purdue on Friday and Michigan on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for 7 p.m. CT and will be streamed on B1G+.