University of Illinois
4-2,0-0Big Ten
Lindenwood
5-2,0-0OVC
| Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | Final F |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lindenwood | 12 | 12 | 14 | 0 |
| Illinois | 25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
Illinois Extends Winning Streak to Three With Home Sweep Over Lindenwood
September 9, 2026 | Volleyball
RECAP
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The Illini continued their winning ways with an emphatic sweep over Lindenwood at Huff Hall on Wednesday night.
Illinois hit .417 as a team while holding the Lions to a .045 mark, helping the Orange and Blue secure a sweep for the third straight match.
Paityn Chapman picked up right where she left off, logging 11 kills to lead the team while adding a season-high six blocks and six digs. Taylor de Boer and Kristina Starostenko each amassed eight kills, with Starostenko swinging at a .778 clip and tallying a career-high seven blocks in the match.
Kenna Phelan stuffed the stat sheet with 26 assists, five digs, four kills, two aces, and a block.
On the defensive side, Talita Goncalves led the way with 13 digs and five assists. Maya Harris pitched in as well with six digs, a kill, and an ace.
With the sides tied at 3-3 early, the Illini used an 8-2 stretch to establish an 11-5 edge and force the Lions to take an early timeout. Ahead by eight late in the frame, the Illini closed the opening set on a 5-0 run to secure the opening frame, 25-12.
The Fighting Illini jumped out to an early 7-2 lead in the second set. The Lions made a run to cut the lead to just four at 14-10. That was the closest it would get as the Illini used a 6-0 run to give them a comfortable lead. The Orange and Blue then used two aces and three kills to grab the second set by an identical 25-12 scoreline.
Facing an early 4-3 deficit in the third set, the Illini pieced together a 14-3 run to jump out to a double-digit advantage. A 5-1 Lindenwood run cut the visitors' deficit to six, but the Orange and Blue closed out the match on a 6-1 stretch to secure the sweep.
Illinois will face Marquette in each of its next two matches, starting with a road trip to Milwaukee to face the Golden Eagles on Friday at 5 p.m. CT. The match will air nationally on FS1.
NOTES
- Paityn Chapman recorded a team-high 11 kills along with six digs and six blocks.
- Had double-digit kills for the fifth time this season.
- Led the Illini in kills for the fifth consecutive match.
- Recorded a season-high six blocks.
- Had double-digit kills for the fifth time this season.
- Kristina Starostenko secured eight kills and seven blocks.
- Hit a career-best .778.
- Set a new career-high with seven total blocks.
- Her seven blocks marked a new team-high this season.
- Has multiple blocks in four appearances this season.
- Talita Goncalves totaled a team-high 13 digs and five assists.
- Tied her season-best for a second time with 13 digs.
- Has double-digit digs in four consecutive matches.
- Tied her season-best for a second time with 13 digs.
- Kenna Phelan finished with 26 assists, five digs, four kills, two aces, and a block.
- Set a new season-high with five kills.
- Hit at a season-high .800 clip.
- Tied her season-high with two aces.
- Has at least one ace in five of her six appearances this season.
- Taylor de Boer tallied eight kills and two solo blocks.
- Her two solo blocks set a new career-high.
- Illinois posted a .417 hitting percentage as a team.
- The Illini's .417 mark is the team's second-best mark this season.
- The Illini hit at least .400 for the third time this season.
- Illinois collected 11.0 blocks in the match.
- The Illini's 11.0 blocks marked their most in a match this season.
- The Illini had a season-high four solo blocks.
- Illinois conceded one or fewer opposing blocks for the second time.
- The Illini held the Lions to a .045 hitting percentage.
- This marks the lowest opponent hitting percentage of the season.
- The Illini held an opponent below .100 for the first time since limiting Rutgers to a -.033 mark on Nov. 22, 2024.
- This marks the lowest opponent hitting percentage of the season.
- Illinois did not give up an ace to Lindenwood.
- Marked the second time this season without allowing an ace.
- The Illini are now 4-1 in three-match contests this season.
- The Illini took the first match in the all-time series with Lindenwood.
- The Illini are now 2-0 when wearing navy sleeveless jerseys.
