Former Illinois volleyball star is lighting it up in the MLV

A 6-foot-3 hitter who once terrorized the Big Ten has become one of the most consistent, explosive performers in Major League Volleyball.

Raina Terry spent five great seasons in Champaign (2020-2024), cementing her legacy as the Illini's all-time leader in kills, service aces, and points. She quickly emerged as a dependable cornerstone for the program, delivering consistent high-level performances through continual change, adversity, and the early waves of the transfer portal, staying loyal when it became popular to leave.

She filled up her trophy case while at the U of I. Terry was a unanimous All-Big Ten First Team player three times, earned AVCA Third Team All-American honors in 2024, picked up a handful of Big Ten Player of the Week awards, and was awarded the Big Ten Medal of Honor.

After college, Terry left Champaign and declared for the PVF Draft (now MLV). She quickly proved her worth in her 2025 rookie campaign with the Columbus Fury. She ranked second on the team in kills per set and third in overall points while showing strength playing in the back row.

Terry's off to a scorching start in her second professional season, leading the league in points per set (4.83). She has delivered double-digit kills in all eight matches to start the year, notching three double-doubles in the process.

Terry set the tone in the opening match of the season, blasting a career-high 27 kills with just one error in a win over Atlanta. In a recent five-set loss against Orlando, Terry stuffed the stat sheet with 17 kills to go along with seven digs, three blocks, and a career-high tying three service aces.

In her most recent effort, a February 6 loss to the San Diego Mojo, Terry recorded a season-high 16 digs and 16 kills to pace the Fury. She was a shining light for the team in a rather dark match, which, unfortunately, has become a theme throughout the early part of the 2026 season for Columbus.

The Fury sit at 2-6, tied for last in the eight-team league. However, with Terry's production, along with strong front court play from teammate and former Golden Gopher Regan Pittman-Nelson, Columbus has been competitive at the net, where they've lead the league in blocks.

Terry's greatness in the pros serves as a proud reminder for Illinois fans of the Illini pipeline at its best. As the holder of the program's most iconic records and the source of countless unforgettable moments inside Huff Hall, she now channels that same fierce competitiveness and fearlessness on the professional court.

She isn't just performing in the MLV, she's excelling. She's proving once again why she's one of the best to ever wear the Orange and Blue.