CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illinois volleyball team ended a three game homestand with a sweep of Ohio State on Saturday at Huff Hall.
The Fighting Illini improved to 17-7 overall and 9-5 in conference play. The Buckeyes dropped to 11-13 on the season and 4-10 in the Big Ten, ending their three game winning streak.
Averie Hernandez and Ashlyn Philpot led the way with 11 kills while Philpot also added an impressive .667 hitting percentage and six blocks. Brooke Mosher logged a double-double with 37 assists and 14 digs. Christina Martinez Mundo recorded a team-best 15 digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Philpot got things going for the Illini with two kills to gain an early 4-1 lead. Both sides battled back-and-forth, before a block by Mosher and Philpot forced the Buckeyes to use their first timeout of the set, with the Illini ahead 12-7.
Illinois came out of the break on a mission, going on a 6-1 run pushing the Orange and Blue lead to 10, 18-8. The Illini continued to keep their foot on the gas, as a kill by Raina Terry brought them to set point leading 24-14. Despite a 4-0 run by the opposition, a Philpot kill eventually ended the first, 25-18.
The Buckeyes jumped out to an early 5-3 lead, before Hernandez and Terry made it 7-6 in favor of the Illini with a kill each. With the score knotted, 7-7, another Hernandez kill started a 6-2 Illini run as they took a 13-9 lead. Ohio State punched back with a 4-0 run of their own forcing Illinois to burn their first timeout tied 13-13.
Out of the timeout, the…
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