On Oct. 3, Illinois volleyball fans may see the same team that went on a six-game win streak at the beginning of the season. Or, they may watch the squad that took back-to-back losses in its most recent matchups. Illinois volleyball will host No. 2 Nebraska at 6 p.m. in Champaign. This conference home opener is a sold-out match at Huff Hall.
The Illini finally return home after their month-long hiatus from Huff Hall. Because of this, there are many questions on how the Illini perform in their first Big Ten home matchup.
The overall record for the team stands at 8-4. Three of Illinois’ losses came to ranked opponents: No. 11 Oregon, No. 23 Dayton and No. 25 Washington. The Big Ten has eight programs ranked in the NCAA top 25.
John Cook leads Nebraska women’s volleyball as the head coach. Since 2000, Cook has created a volleyball dynasty in the Cornhuskers country. The program boasts five national championships, four of which came under Cook’s coaching.
The Cornhuskers have 13 conference titles, 11 NCAA semifinals and eight NCAA finals appearances under Cook. Last year, Nebraska made history when they set a world record in attendance for volleyball on Aug. 30. Over 90,000 fans packed into Memorial Stadium to watch Nebraska defeat Omaha, 3-0.
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On the home side, head coach Chris Tamas is in his eighth season as the leader of the Illinois volleyball program. He holds a personal record of 131-81 and a conference record of 80-58. Also, the Illini have qualified for the NCAA tournament four times under Tamas, adding three NCAA regional appearances and the Final Four in 2018.
Tamas is a veteran coach but has his work cut out for him against the Huskers. Nebraska recently had four players added to the American Volleyball Coaches Association Watchlist for 2024 Division I Player of the Year. It includes sophomore outside hitter Harper Murray, who won the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. Now, she averages 3.18 kills and 2.30 digs per set this season.
Roster to roster, it appears to be an evenly set matchup. With Illinois’ tallest player being 6’4 and Nebraska’s tallest player standing at 6’5, there will be some competition at the net. Illinois graduate student outside hitter Raina Terry has been dominant with her kills this season. Similarly, freshman middle blocker Ashlyn Philpot has made great blocks for the Illini. Fans will stuff Huff, hoping Illinois’ talents are enough to stop the Cornhuskers.
