Illinois volleyball defeats Maryland in five-set road victory

The Illinois Fighting Illini secured a 3-2 victory over the Maryland Terrapins at the Schanwald Pavilion, improving their season record to 13-7 and their Big Ten record to 5-4. The win extended Illinois' all-time dominance over Maryland to 17-0, a streak dating back to 2014.

After dropping the opening set 25-22, Illinois responded with a 25-21 win in the second frame. Maryland took the third set 26-24, but Illinois claimed the fourth 25-18 to force a deciding fifth set. In the final frame, Illinois overcame an early deficit with a 5-0 run and closed the match with a 6-1 run to win 15-8.

Paityn Chapman led Illinois with 21 kills and 10 digs, marking her second consecutive 20-kill performance. Other notable contributors included Taylor de Boer and Ashlyn Philpot with 10 kills each, and Kenna Phelan with 52 assists. Maryland coach Adam Hughes noted the performance of his young squad despite the loss, which brought the Terrapins to a 12-8 overall record.