Illinois volleyball gains much-needed momentum after an embarrassing loss

Illinois volleyball came into the weekend still stinging from a lopsided loss to No. 22 Tennessee in the inaugural B1G/SEC Challenge.

The match was uncompetitive, a straight-set defeat for the Illini, 25-19, 25-17, 25-11. The Lady Vols held Illinois to an abysmal .104 hitting percentage as a team. It was the kind of result that you want to flush as soon as possible, and they did just that.

Facing McNeese State on a Saturday to open the Rice Invitational at Tudor Fieldhouse, the Illini controlled the match from the jump, winning 25-14, 25-11, 25-22 to move back to .500 at 2-2.

Paityn Chapman led the way with 12 kills and 10 digs, recording her second double-double of the season. Taylor de Boer got back on track with 10 kills on a scorching .625 hitting. Alyssa Aguayo matched Chapman with 12 kills of her own, and Kenna Phelan dished 33 assists to keep the offense humming.

Maya Harris aided the team with a strong night serving, tallying four aces. The true freshman from Angola, Indiana, was a 2025 Indiana Miss Volleyball finalist before signing with Illinois, and she's already found her footing early in her first college season.

As a team, Illinois hit an impressive .366, a complete turnaround from their cold scoring night in Knoxville.

Illinois volleyball continued the great play to close out the Rice Invitational

They weren't done, though. They saved their best for last, closing out the tournament with a statement sweep of Rice on Sunday, winning 25-18, 25-19, 25-14 in front of 706 of the Owl faithful.

Chapman was nearly unstoppable, recording a match-high 16 kills while committing just two errors, good for a .560 hitting percentage. This was the best individual performance by an Illini all weekend.

Kristina Starostenko was right there with her, hitting an unbelievable .714 on 14 attacks. She terminated the ball 10 times and did not commit a single error. The junior middle blocker spent last season playing professionally in France before transferring in. Performances like Sunday's show why Tamas and Co. were eager to add her.

De Boer chipped in nine kills, Aguayo added eight, and Phelan set the table with 38 assists, her second most this season, tied for her 13th most since becoming an Illini.

As a team, the Orange and Blue hit .494, good for the highest hitting percentage as a team since 2018. They held Rice below .200 as well, getting it done offensively and defensively.

After really struggling against Tennessee, which is where Chapman transferred in from, it was very nice to see her bounce back strongly in both matches over the weekend. She recorded double-digit kills in both matches and hit a season-high .560 against Rice on Sunday.

The weekend sweep in Houston was exactly what the doctor ordered for Illinois volleyball after, frankly, an embarrassing loss in Knoxville last week. They will now head back to Huff Hall with real momentum, as they look ahead to another tough week with three big matches.

What's next?

Illinois returns home to Huff Hall on Wednesday, September 9, to host Lindenwood at 7 p.m. CT. The Lions enter the match at 5-1 on the season after an undefeated 3-0 weekend at the NIU Invitational. It will be the Illini's first home match since sweeping Syracuse. You can catch the match on B1G+.

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