It’s pretty simple. A win Saturday at Huff Hall over Purdue, and the Illini will finish the regular season as one of the top four teams in the nation.
Illinois set itself up with that chance after cruising past Michigan State on Wednesday night in East Lansing, 21-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-16.
After dropping the first set on the road, Illinois roared back with three easy wins for its 27th win of the year. Now, through 30 matches, Illinois sits at 27-3. The Illini have won 12 straight matches and have not lost since falling to No. 3 Minnesota, who also clinched the Big Ten Championship last week, on Oct.