University of Illinois
14-7,6-4Big Ten
Rutgers
10-12,1-9Big Ten
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Illinois | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
| Rutgers | 23 | 14 | 22 | 0 |
October 24, 2026 | Volleyball
RECAP
PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Illinois closed the weekend with a road sweep over Rutgers at Jersey Mike's Arena on Saturday night.
The Fighting Illini used a 25-23, 25-14, 25-22 victory to improve to 14-7 overall and 6-4 in Big Ten play.
Alyssa Aguayo tallied a team-high and error-free 13 kills while adding seven digs and a block.
Paityn Chapman and Taylor de Boer also finished with double-digit kills. Chapman posted a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs and tacked on two blocks, while de Boer totaled 10 kills and a block.
Kenna Phelan finished the night with another double-double with 35 assists, 11 digs, a block, and a kill. Maya Harris put together another strong showing at the service line with three aces alongside 11 digs and four kills, while Talita Goncalves ended with a team-high 12 digs.
The Fighting Illini used a 6-1 run early in the opening frame to jump out to a quick advantage. After the Scarlet Knights evened the set at eight, a 5-0 Orange and Blue scoring stretch with Kenzie Cogan at the service line gave the visitors a 15-9 edge at the media timeout. The home side responded and eventually took a late 22-21 lead, but a 4-1 Illini run to close the set saw Illinois secure the opener, 25-23.
The Orange and Blue tallied a 5-0 stretch early in the second set before Rutgers rattled off four of the next five points to cut its deficit to one. Illinois answered with a 6-1 run of its own to establish a 12-6 advantage, though the Scarlet Knights counted with a 5-1 stretch to move the Illini's edge to 13-11. The Illini dominated the rest of the way, closing the set on a 12-3 streak to claim the frame, 25-14, and double their lead in the match.
Neither side led more than two points prior to the media timeout in the third set, but a 5-0 Rutgers run gave the hosts an 18-14 advantage. Illinois halved its deficit and forced the Scarlet Knights to use a timeout, but the home side retook a three-point edge, 22-19, shortly after. Harris once again made a difference at the service line, helping the Orange and Blue end the match on a 6-0 run to complete the sweep.
Illinois (14-7, 6-4 B1G) starts a three-match homestand on Thursday night with an in-state clash against Northwestern. First serve from Huff Hall between the Fighting Illini and the Wildcats is set for 8 p.m. CT on Big Ten Network, with tickets available at tickets.fightingillini.com.
NOTES
- Paityn Chapman posted 11 kills, 10 digs, two blocks, and an ace.
- Secured her eighth double-double of the season/of her career.
- Marked her second consecutive double-double.
- Had double-digit kills for the 17th time.
- Has 10+ kills in each of the last six matches.
- Had double-digit digs for the 10th time.
- Secured her eighth double-double of the season/of her career.
- Has multiple blocks in 12 straight appearances.
- Taylor de Boer tallied 10 kills and a block.
- Had 10+ kills for the 11th time this season.
- Has double-digit kills in three of her last four appearances.
- Had only one attack error in the match.
- Had one or fewer errors for the fourth time this season.
- Had 10+ kills for the 11th time this season.
- Kenna Phelan secured a double-double with 35 assists and 11 digs.
- Marked her eighth double-double of the season and the 24th of her career.
- Has recorded back-to-back double-doubles.
- Marked her eighth double-double of the season and the 24th of her career.
- Maya Harris finished with 11 digs, four kills, and three aces.
- Had at least three aces for the fifth time.
- Has multiple aces in 13 matches this season.
- Tied her career-high with four kills.
- Has four kills in back-to-back outings.
- Logged double-digit digs for the sixth time.
- Had at least three aces for the fifth time.
- Talita Goncalves totaled 12 digs and six assists.
- Has double-digit digs in 17 outings this season.
- Alyssa Aguayo registered 13 kills, seven digs, two assists, and a block.
- Recorded 10+ kills for the 11th time this season.
- Had zero attack errors on a team-high 28 swings.
- Surpassed 500 career kills during the match.
- Recorded 10+ kills for the 11th time this season.
- Illinois recorded a .336 hitting percentage as a team, its best mark in Big Ten play this season.
- The Illini improved to 19-1 in the all-time series against Rutgers.
- The Illini are now 9-3 in three-set contests this season.
- Illinois is now 6-4 in true road matches this season.
- The Illini are 3-2 in Big Ten road matches this season.
- Was the team's third Big Ten sweep of the year.
- The Illini are now 2-2 when wearing blue long-sleeve jerseys.
