Illinois Sweeps #22 Washington to Extend Winning Streak to Seven
Illinois secured its third ranked volleyball victory by sweeping #22 Washington on the road in Seattle on Friday night, extending its winning streak to seven matches, according to fightingillini.com. Four Fighting Illini players finished with double-digit digs, while three players posted 10 kills as the Orange and Blue improved to 11-3 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play.
How Illinois Overcame Washington in Seattle
The visiting Illini opened the match by fighting through tight early margins. After the Huskies jumped out to an early 9-6 edge, an 8-2 scoring stretch for the Orange and Blue allowed the visitors to take their first lead of the night. A later 7-2 Washington run put the home side ahead 21-20, but Illinois scored five of the final six points of the frame to capture the opener 25-22.
Momentum carried directly into the second set as Illinois opened on a 5-2 run. Although Washington clawed back to tie the set at 11-11, the Orange and Blue entered the media break ahead 15-12 and held off a late Husky charge to win 25-22. The third set saw a commanding 10-3 Fighting Illini run out of the gates. Despite two late 3-0 scoring pushes from Washington, Illinois closed out the sweep by securing three of the final four points.
Stat-Sheet Leaders and Individual Milestones
Paityn Chapman recorded a standout double-double with 10 kills, 17 digs, two blocks, and two aces for Illinois, marking her fifth double-double of the season and equaling her career-high in digs. Kenna Phelan orchestrated the offense with 36 assists while adding 16 digs and an ace, sealing her fifth double-double of the campaign and a new season-high in digs.
Alyssa Aguayo added a 10-kill, 11-dig double-double, representing her first of the season and the 12th of her career. Kristina Starostenko anchored the net with 10 kills, six blocks, and a blistering .643 hitting percentage. Taylor de Boer chipped in eight kills and a career-high six blocks. Defensively, Talita Goncalves notched 13 digs—stretching her streak of double-digit digs to 12 consecutive matches—while Maya Harris contributed nine digs and three aces.
Illinois Achieves Best Big Ten Start Since 2021
The straight-sets victory marks Illinois’ third ranked win in the last eight days and its third ranked victory of the season overall, a threshold the program has not reached since 2021. The three-match winning streak when facing ranked opponents consecutively is the program’s longest since October 2011.
The 3-0 start to Big Ten conference play is the team's best start since 2021. The Illini recorded 71 total digs in the contest, reaching the 70-dig mark for only the second time this season and maintaining a streak of at least 50 digs in five straight matches.
Traveling to Oregon for the Next Big Ten Test
Illinois concludes its trip to the Pacific Northwest by facing #17 Oregon on Sunday afternoon. The match is scheduled for 3 p.m. CT and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network.