The Big Ten is a conference whose roots are in the Midwest. However, from time to time, Illinois (10-5, 5-1) heads to the West Coast or Eastern Seaboard to play conference games.
Following wins in College Park, Maryland, and Piscataway, New Jersey, the next pair of matches serves as the return trip from the East Coast. Waiting for the Illini are the Ohio State Buckeyes (3-11, 0-6) and Northwestern Wildcats (13-6, 3-4).
Take care of business
The spark plug for the Illini is redshirt sophomore outside hitter Taylor de Boer. Over the past weekend, she tallied 27 kills, continuing her dominant season on the left side. Against the Buckeyes and Wildcats, it is on de Boer to light up the scoresheet two more times to keep the momentum from the start of Big Ten play afloat.
Meanwhile, redshirt sophomore opposite Auburn Tomkinson is swinging hard on the right side, achieving a career high in kills against Maryland (8-9, 1-6). Her 17 kills from Saturday’s match are what the Illini want to see moving forward. Freshman outside hitter Alyssa Aguayo has also been remarkably tough for opponents to contain, as she is repeatedly recording double-digit kills to add to the strong Illini offense.
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On the defensive side, the Illini’s middle blockers have come on strong. Graduate student Kayla Burbage and sophomore Ashlyn Philpot have registered 58 blocks each through 15 matches. The two need to keep their wall intact to deny opponents any chances at big runs. Preventing those runs will help push the Illini to victory this weekend.
Not to be outdone, Tomkinson is another defensive stalwart, blocking 47 opposing attempts. Philpot also stands as a tough dual-threat in the middle, taking big swings and not missing, leading her to 122 kills.
Scouting opponents
The Illini face two teams that are struggling to find the win column in conference play. This is especially the case for Ohio State, which has not won a game against a Big Ten opponent in six tries. However, winning in a competitive volleyball conference like the Big Ten is always earned, never given.
Ohio State junior outside hitter Hannah Jones is its big arm on the front row. She has 198 kills on the season, just two kills shy of de Boer. The other two Buckeye threats are sophomore outside hitter Reese Wuebker and redshirt freshman middle blocker Kaia Castle. Wuebker has 143 kills so far in 2025, while Castle leads the Buckeyes in blocks and is third in kills.
On the other hand, Northwestern has won two games in conference, and is always a tough match for Illinois. Senior outside hitter Rylen Reid is a player to watch out for Sunday. She has 211 kills this fall and makes for a great left pen matchup against de Boer.
Graduate student Ayah Elnady, freshman Bella Bullington and junior Campbell Paris round out a quartet of fierce Wildcat outside hitters that can easily spark a rally. They are determined to keep the in-state rivalry match close, as are their middle blockers: freshman Kayla Kauffman and graduate student Bella Simkus, who each own over 40 kills this season.
What will it take?
For Illinois to gain two more conference wins, containing Jones and Reid is the top priority. Taking down Northwestern will be especially difficult, as it has a wider range of weapons to choose from on offense. Philpot and Burbage will need to make quick adjustments at the net to have a chance at rejecting attempts.
Aguayo, Tomkinson and de Boer must replicate their success from the East Coast swing as well. The attacks must be strong, as they have been all season, and using the whole floor will be vital. It will force the opposing defenses to act quickly, and it can lead to mistakes that they can punish.
When is first serve?
Illinois visits Ohio State Friday, with the match starting at 5 p.m. Two days later, the Illini will shift their focus to a Sunday matinee against the Wildcats, beginning at 2 p.m.
