With such a large and influential group of seniors no longer playing with the Illini, both head coach Don Hardin and the players themselves were anxious to get out and play.

The six teams played each other five sets of two games. Even in the spring, when wins and losses don’t count, competing without the familiar leaders to turn to could have been shellshock. Hardin has been working on getting the current players enough experience with each other in the spring.

“The four seniors we lost from last year were a huge part of the program, but everything we’ve been working so hard on has made us a stronger team, and we were playing like it too, especially against Missouri this past weekend,” said senior Katy Pratapas.

The tournament included SIU, Valporaiso, Indiana State, Missouri and Marquette. The Illini split against Southern Illinois, swept both Indiana State and Marquette, lost both to Valpo and finished with a split against Missouri.

During the spring the team has been working on individual skills and intangibles.

“People are stepping up and filling new roles on the team, it feels really good,” said sophomore setter Stephanie Obermeier. “We have been working really hard throughout the spring. We have been working a lot on skills and trying to learn new techniques that have been introduced to us. The harder we work now the better we will be in the fall.”