No. 24 Illinois falls to No. 16 Purdue in five-set match

No. 24 Illinois faced No. 16 Purdue in a challenging match in West Lafayette on Sunday, pushing the contest to five sets. The Illini began strong, winning the first set 25-22 and saw significant contributions from senior setter Kenna Phelan, who recorded 52 assists, and underclassmen Alyssa Aguayo and Madi Miles, who combined for 30 kills. Libero Talita Goncalves also stood out with 25 digs. However, Purdue turned the tide, clinching the final set 15-12. This marks Illinois' third straight loss, dropping their overall record to 11-6 and 3-3 in Big Ten play. The Illini are set to face No. 22 Michigan State on Thursday at Huff Hall.

• 2:01 AMYahoo Sports — No. 24 Illinois loses nail-biter at No. 16 Purdue