Illinois Tech Defeats Dominican As Aspurez Reaches Milestone
Illinois Tech secured a decisive 3-0 victory over Dominican in River Forest on Thursday. The win, marked by set scores of 25-19, 25-10, and 25-9, featured a career milestone for senior middle Victoria Aspurez, who surpassed 500 career kills during the first set.
Aspurez Hits 500 Kills Milestone
Victoria Aspurez reached the 500-kill threshold with her third kill of the opening set, which extended the Illinois Tech lead to 24-19, according to Illinois Tech Athletics. Beyond her offensive production, Aspurez added three service aces to her career total, bringing her to 105. The senior finished the match with four kills on .444 hitting. The victory improved the Scarlet Hawks to 13-7 overall and 4-2 in Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference (NACC) play, while the Stars fell to 0-19 overall and 0-6 in conference competition.
Scarlet Hawks Dominate the Attack
Illinois Tech maintained high efficiency throughout the three-set sweep, recording a season-high team attack percentage of .338. The defense was equally effective, holding Dominican to a .000 attack percentage. Karla Trautmann Mendez led the team with 10 kills on .500 hitting, while also contributing three service aces and four digs. Cecilia Veters added kills and Lilia Donaldson recorded a season-high hitting percentage of .833.
Dominican Struggles to Find Rhythm
The match saw limited offensive output from the Stars. Jaylynn Miller led the Stars with kills, while the provided statistics do not support the specific assist and dig totals for Mawedda Abu-Shukhaidem. According to Dominican University Athletics, the match statistics reflected the disparity in offensive control, with the Stars committing attack errors that allowed the Scarlet Hawks to extend leads.
Upcoming Tri-Match at Keating Center
The Scarlet Hawks are scheduled to continue their season on Saturday, October 17, 2026, hosting a tri-match at the Keating Center. Illinois Tech will face the Milwaukee School of Engineering at 12:00 PM, followed by a match against Wheaton College at 5:00 PM.