Illinois volleyball still clinches NCAA tournament berth despite tough finish

The month of November has been a bit rough for the women's Illinois volleyball program.

After starting the month with a win at Ohio State, the Illini suffered a pair of losses before welcoming the Scarlet Knights of Rutgers which sit at the bottom of the Big Ten. The match was decisive in Illinois's favor. The straight-set victory included 34 kills for the Illini and Rutgers recorded twice as many errors (25 to 11 by Illinois).

Once again, Raina Terry led the way with 15 kills and three blocks. The match also included a strong defensive performance from Averie Hernandez who led the team with nine blocks.

After a stellar performance against Rutgers, Illinois struggled against a UCLA Bruins squad that also sat below .500. The women in Orange and Blue were able to win the first set decisively but lost their way in the second set and couldn't get back on track.

UCLA played a great game defensively and seemed to be everywhere on the front line. After dropping the first set, the Bruins swept the Illini to win the match 3-1. This is an unfortunate result after a night where Terry recorded her 22nd double-double with a squad-best 22 kills and 10 digs.

Next was a hard-fought battle against the 16th-ranked Minnesota Golden Gophers. The match was a back-and-forth affair. Minnesota equalized the match with a decisive second-set victory. From there, the Golden Gophers outlasted Illinois to go up 2-1. The Illini stormed back and seemed to be coasting to a fourth-set victory, but Minnesota was able to force a 24-24 tie. The Golden Gophers took control, winning the fourth set 27-25, handing the Illini their 11th loss of the season.

After a tough loss at home, the Illini closed the season on the road against an Indiana squad hoovering just under .500. Indiana was determined to finish the season strong on senior night, neutralizing Illinois' height advantage at the net and forcing the Illini to make costly errors.

Illinois started to find a bit of a rhythm in the third set with well-positioned blocks and timely kills. But Indiana took over by dominating the Illini with a total of 46 kills by the third set. Throughout the night, Illinois struggled to handle the power of Avery Tatum and Candela Alonso-Corcelles. The Hoosiers were also able to keep Terry at bay.

Terry ended the night with only 10 kills and three assists. Once it was all done and dusted, Indiana beat the Fighting Illini in straight sets.

Despite the shaky finish to the 2024 season, Illinois was still able to secure a spot in the NCAA tournament. They were selected into the postseason, as the 18-12 Illini will take on the No. 8 seed Northern Iowa, which sits at 25-7 on the season.