Illinois volleyball didn’t just beat No. 22 Michigan State on Thursday night. It got the kind of performance that can carry a season, and Paityn Chapman was right in the middle of it.
The junior transfer from Tennessee delivered the final flourish with a match-clinching ace as the Illini finished off the Spartans in four sets at Huff Hall. Chapman’s serve put a clean cap on a night that showed exactly why Illinois brought her to Champaign: she can score, defend and steady the group when the pressure starts to rise.
She finished with 13 kills, six digs and five blocks, adding another double-digit kill outing to a season that has quickly put her at the center of the attack. Through 18 matches, Chapman leads Illinois with 217 kills and ranks second on the team with 174 digs. It was her 14th match with at least 10 kills and her ninth straight with at least two blocks.
The win also continued a run that has Illinois drawing attention again. The Illini are 12-6 overall and 4-3 in the Big Ten, sit No. 30 in the RPI and are just one spot outside the AVCA Top-25 rankings. They have already stacked up four ranked wins this season, their most in a year since 2019.
For Chapman, the move to Illinois was about more than volleyball. She said the conversation with head coach Chris Tamas helped sell her on the program.
"I had such a connection with Chris (Tamas), with how he came into our call and was like, 'Hey, Illinois is a family, and we're going to treat you like our family.' And that was very important to me," Chapman told Illini Inquirer. "It's one of my core values, so just having that in my life again, and in a team environment, (I'm) very thankful for it."
That comfort has shown up in the way she’s settled in on the floor, especially with setter Kenna Phelan. Phelan said the two clicked quickly.
"We became buddies really fast. She's an easy person to get along with, so she fit right in, and she's just a delight to have on the team," Phelan told Illini Inquirer. "I can look at her, and I know exactly what she needs from me."
Illinois has leaned into Chapman’s versatility, using her in all six rotations so she can attack and defend from the back row, a different role than the one she had at Tennessee. Chapman said that opportunity was part of the appeal.
"Given this opportunity to play all six rotations has really been really exciting for my game, because it's something that I really wanted for myself, and I could see that from [Tamas] that he wanted that for me," Chapman said. "And having that backrow attack will just really be effective."
That balance was on display against Michigan State. Illinois jumped out to a 2-0 lead, took a stumble in the third set, then regrouped to close the door in the fourth.
Chapman said the memory of Sunday’s road loss to No. 17 Purdue - when Illinois was one point away from winning in four sets - stayed with her.
"During the fourth set, I was like, 'Hey, this happened last game. We gotta have this mindset, hey, this isn't over.
We gotta finish. The game isn't over till it's over.'"
The Illini’s offense had plenty of support around her. Freshman Madi Miles led the team with 15 kills, tying her career high, while Ashlyn Philpot added 11. Alyssa Aguayo and Kristina Starostenko chipped in eight apiece.
The result was Illinois’ 10th straight win over Michigan State, another sign that the program’s stretch of ranked success is building momentum again. And with the homestand continuing Sunday at 1 p.m. against Michigan in the Hail to the Orange Out match, Chapman says the team’s depth gives it plenty to work with.
"If we have multiple good attackers, they're not going to know where to block. They're not going to know where we're going," Chapman said. "We have a great setter who can split us up and everything, so yeah, it's going to be really helpful in the future."
By the time the match ended, with Huff Hall on its feet, Chapman was reminded why she wanted this move in the first place.
"It's such a family, and even the fans are a part of that. They're all around us right now." she said. "Knowing that my family is here, even though my blood family isn't, but it's like I still have family here."
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