The return to the West Coast is off to a tough start for Illinois (13-13, 8-9). A match of ups and downs where the Illini stole a close first set and staved off a furious comeback in the third eventually went the way of the UCLA Bruins (16-11, 10-7).
There is a lot to take away from this evenly-matched battle. The Illini once again fought hard, but the result didn’t fall in their favor. However, a battle like this one can prepare them for the upcoming test against the No. 16 USC Trojans (21-6, 12-5).
Tomkinson’s homecoming
The return to the Golden State for redshirt sophomore opposite Auburn Tomkinson was one to remember. She has been a critical piece in the lineup and further proved her worth against UCLA Thursday night.
The Carlsbad, California, native achieved a career-high in kills, with 18, cementing her return in style. This was especially the case in sets two and three, where Tomkinson went off for six in each set.
Get The Daily Illini in your inbox!
She was also getting things done on defense. Eleven Bruin attacks went right to the block, and Tomkinson assisted on four of those, one of three Illini to do so. As a transfer player, she fit right into the scheme and displayed her talent from the jump.
When momentum shifts
After three sets, Illinois led UCLA 2-1 and was riding the wave with a critical fourth set at hand. However, once that fourth set began, the tide receded and the Bruins roared.
Redshirt sophomore outside hitter/opposite Taylor de Boer’s kill —one of her nine on the night — tied the score at 8-8. The Bruins followed with a 7-2 run that put them in front for good.
Senior outside hitter Cheridyn Leverette and redshirt junior middle blocker Marianna Singletary led the way. They each recorded two kills down the stretch, with Singletary assisting on a block as well, giving the Bruins a five-point advantage.
They both came through again in a 4-0 run at the end of the set, with Singletary recording a kill and Leverette finishing the deal with a service ace. Four Illini errors played a huge part in these runs as well. Two of those came from sophomore middle blocker Ashlyn Philpot, who otherwise had a solid day with eight kills and four blocks.
Career highs, double-doubles
A recurring storyline every week is the excellent freshman season of outside hitter Alyssa Aguayo. She continued her run of dominance against UCLA, recording a double-double with 11 kills and 17 digs.
Junior setter Kenna Phelan also posted a double-double, with 49 assists and 14 digs. The honor for most digs belongs to freshman libero Taryn Kirsch, who posted a career-high 24.
Another career-high performance came from redshirt sophomore middle blocker Gabby Dean. In just her fourth career start, Dean posted a career-best five blocks.
Previewing USC
Next up for Illinois is an even tougher Saturday night tilt against USC at Galen Center.
The two main Trojan weapons are underclassmen. Redshirt sophomore outside hitter London Wijay leads the way, averaging 3.51 kills per set and 340 total for the season, just one more than de Boer.
The other hot hand is freshman opposite Abigail Mullen, whose 272 kills make her a close match with Aguayo. Their kills per set are almost identical, but there is one difference between them: Mullen is a blocking machine. She has put up 79 blocks this season, more than doubling Aguayo.
Three other Trojans middle blockers are ready to make an impact as well: redshirt sophomore Leah Ford (91 blocks), senior Rylie McGinest (74) and sophomore Mia Tvrdy (73). All three average a block per set, topping every Illini blocker.
Ranked struggles
With the Illini going into another ranked match, the odds are stacked against them. Against AVCA Top 25 opponents, Illinois is 1-6 on the season, with the one win coming at No. 11 Purdue (22-3, 13-2) — ranked No. 10 at the time — in September.
Aside from the win over Purdue, Illinois has played in 23 sets against those ranked teams and only won two. This includes getting swept twice by No. 10 Wisconsin (21-4, 14-3), as well as home losses to No. 24 Penn State (16-11, 10-7) and Purdue.
The Illini have pulled upsets over Top 25 opponents in the past, including a win over a ranked USC at Huff Hall last season in a five-set thriller. This time around, they are walking into a hostile environment, which makes pulling off a victory even tougher.
