Illinois volleyball (17-7, 9-5) has made waves in the Big Ten this season. Following a good weekend, Illinois is riding a two-game win streak, capped by a 3-0 sweep of Ohio State (11-13, 4-10).
Game leaders
Highlights from the match include junior outside hitter Averie Hernandez and freshman middle blocker Ashlyn Philpot leading Illinois with 11 kills each. Both players illustrated the offensive explosion that Illinois brings to every match.
Hernandez looked back on the season after the game and shared her mindset and focus on steady improvement. Her approach reflects the team’s strategy to stay grounded.
“I think we talk a lot about just being 1-0 every day in practice, even though every point isn’t going to look your way,” Hernandez said. “I think continuing to just harp on that — it ends up working out.”
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Philpot also discussed the support she has received playing at Illinois. She shared her appreciation for her teammates and the fans. The love that a crowded Huff Hall gives to its players provides them a home-court advantage.
“Just trusting in my teammates, just like I said yesterday, I do it for them,” Philpot said. “The crowd here always gets me going, and it’s just great to have such good support.”
Tamas era
Head coach Chris Tamas, who has led Illinois since 2007, expressed great pride following the win over Ohio State and their impressive win against No. 20 USC.
“The players got to execute, and we’re just seeing some really good execution right now, and that’s what it takes at this level,” Tamas said. “The teams that we’re going to play are going to put you to the test and give you a different challenge every match, and our team has responded to the challenges, and that is really good to see.”
Tamas emphasized his appreciation for the team’s resilience. The record alone displays Illinois’ work ethic, but it was clear why it was so good hearing from program members after two big victories.
“We just have to play consistent ball, and this time of year, that’s what you want to do,” Tamas said. “I think we’re seeing that. We’re really good at our resiliency when they are making runs against us.”
Next up
Heading on the road, Illinois will face Penn State and Purdue before returning home to play Rutgers on Nov. 22 at 4 p.m. and UCLA on Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. With the season coming to a close, each match holds importance for postseason play.
“I think these are all really great teams … I think we have something special coming,” Hernandez said. “We have been working too hard for it not to show this season. You know, all I can give to my coaches, my teammates. I think we’ve all done a great job staying consistent and working hard.”
