Chambana Sun

Illinois lost to Iowa in a five-set volleyball match at Huff Hall on Sunday, which was attended by a sellout crowd of 4,352. This marked the first sellout of the season and the ninth under head coach Chris Tamas.

Four Illinois players recorded double-digit kills during the match. Alyssa Aguayo led with 14 kills and hit at a .375 percentage. The freshman outside hitter also had her seventh double-double of the season with 10 digs and added two aces. Auburn Tomkinson contributed 12 kills—her second-highest total in Big Ten play this season—along with four blocks, three digs, and an assist. Ashlyn Philpot also posted 12 kills while Taylor de Boer finished with 11 kills, two blocks, and one dig.

Defensively, Taryn Kirsch collected a team-high 13 digs, marking her tenth match this season with double-digit digs. She also had two assists and an ace. Averie Hernandez added ten digs and equaled her career high with four aces.

Following the loss, Illinois holds a record of 12-9 overall and 7-5 in Big Ten play. The Illini are now 2-1 in five-set matches this season and have moved to a home record of 3-4 at Huff Hall.

Head coach Chris Tamas's career record with Illinois is now 161-103. Historically, Illinois leads Iowa in their all-time series at 72 wins to Iowa’s 15.

Illinois will next face Nebraska on Thursday night in Lincoln. The Cornhuskers are currently ranked number one nationally and remain undefeated this season.