Chambana Sun

Illinois will face a challenging weekend as the Fighting Illini women's volleyball team prepares for two matches against ranked opponents. On Thursday, Illinois will travel to Lincoln to play #1 Nebraska at the Devaney Center, with the match set to air nationally on FS1. The team will then return home to host #25 Penn State on Sunday afternoon at Huff Hall, which will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.

The upcoming home match marks the Huff Hall Centennial Celebration, commemorating 100 years of George Huff Hall's role in academics and athletics at the University of Illinois. As part of the festivities, the first 300 students attending Sunday's game will receive a special centennial t-shirt, and campers from this year's Fighting Illini volleyball camps are invited back with complimentary tickets.

Nebraska enters Thursday's contest as the only undefeated Division I program this season, holding a 22-0 record and remaining unbeaten in conference play. The Huskers have not lost a set in any conference match so far and lead Division I in hitting percentage (.335). Middle blocker Andi Jackson tops the Big Ten with a .422 hitting percentage, while Rebekah Allick leads in blocks per set (1.38). First-year head coach Dani Busboom Kelly took over after John Cook’s retirement and currently holds a career coaching record of 225-44.

Penn State arrives with a 13-9 overall record and is led by Katie Schumacher-Cawley, who has compiled a 97-28 record as head coach. The Nittany Lions are coming off their eighth national championship last season and feature returning players such as libero Gillian Grimes and outside hitter Caroline Jurevicius. Kennedy Martin, a transfer from Florida, leads both Penn State and the Big Ten with an average of 5.24 kills per set.

Historically, Nebraska has dominated its series against Illinois, leading 36-8-1; Illinois last defeated Nebraska in October 2018. Against Penn State, Illinois trails 13-52 all-time but is seeking its first win since October 2022.

Earlier this season, Illinois secured its first victory over a top-10 opponent since 2021 by defeating #10 Purdue on September 28. Key contributors included Ashlyn Philpot with 12 kills and Taylor de Boer leading with 17 kills.

Taylor de Boer was recently honored with the AthletesCAN True Sport Award at the Canadian Sport Awards for her perseverance during her battle with ANCA vasculitis—a rare autoimmune disease—and her continued involvement in raising awareness for rare diseases through Uplifting Athletes.

Kenna Phelan was named Big Ten Setter of the Week on September 29 after guiding Illinois to wins over Oregon and Purdue. Phelan averaged 9.4 assists per set during that stretch.

Freshman Alyssa Aguayo has made an immediate impact by averaging nearly three kills per set across all matches started this season. Taryn Kirsch became Illinois' first freshman starting libero since 2023 and leads the team in digs per set.

The roster saw nine newcomers join for the current season, including transfers Auburn Tomkinson from Texas and Kenna Phelan from Florida State.

In coaching staff changes for 2025, Meredith Schamun joined as associate head coach following four years leading Penn’s program; Hannah Hashbarger arrived as director of operations after two seasons at Regis.

Head coach Chris Tamas continues his tenure at Illinois with an overall record of 161-103 (.610) including five NCAA Tournament appearances since taking over as head coach.