Illinois Welcomes Northwestern for Midweek Clash at Huff Hall

MATCH 23

Illinois volleyball goes for its sixth straight victory when the team hosts Northwestern at Huff Hall on Wednesday night. First serve on Big Ten Network is slated for 8 p.m. CT.

The 2023 campaign marks the 50th season of Illinois volleyball, with the Illini holding an overall record of 1,062-620-7 (.629). Chris Tamas enters his seventh season at the helm for the Orange and Blue, boasting a 127-77 (.623) mark.

An audio stream of the match will be available on FightingIllini.com/live or live in the Champaign-Urbana area on WDWS 1400AM & 93.9FM with Tim Ditman. 

LAST TIME OUT

The Fighting Illini stunned #16 Purdue in a four-set battle at Huff Hall on Saturday night. The win marked the Orange and Blue’s first triumph over a ranked opponent this season. 

Raina Terry led the way with a team-high 19 kills, while the Orange and Blue dominated at the net with 15.5 total blocks. Brooke Mosher recorded a career-high 47 assists in the win, alongside two aces, four kills, and six blocks, the latter of which tied her career-best mark.

Kennedy Collins paced the squad with a team-high nine blocks, while she also tallied nine kills and three digs. Kayla Burbage and Jessica Nunge each registered seven kills, with the former also recording five blocks and the latter also totaling six digs.

Cari Bohm tied her career-high stuffs, finishing a strong night at the net with seven blocks and six kills. Caroline Barnes made a team-high 16 digs in the winning effort, her eighth consecutive outing in double digits.

ILLINOIS VS. THE FIELD

Illinois owns the 64-31 advantage over Northwestern during the all-time series between the programs. However, the last meeting between the programs went the way of the Wildcats, with NU earning the sweep over the Illini, ending the Orange and Blue’s 2022 campaign. When playing at Huff Hall, Illinois is 35-9 all-time, and with Chris Tamas at the helm, Illinois owns a 8-2 mark.

ILLINI IN THE RANKINGS

Terry is currently ranked in the top-10 nationally in several categories. The senior outside hitter comes into the week third nationally in attacks per set (13.02) and 13th for kills per set (4.52). Terry’s 5.20 points per set is 12th nationally, while her 398 total kills rank first in the league and also seventh nationally. Her 1,146 total attacks also pace the…