The Illinois women’s volleyball team travels to DeKalb for the Northern Illinois Tournament this weekend, in what will be the first tournament of the season and the start of a span in which they play eight matches in eight days.

The team is taking measures to make sure all the players stay healthy and fresh in that time span.

“We’re cutting down on lifting to try and conserve some energy,” said 10-year head coach Don Hardin. “We definitely need the rest, but we also need to play in these matches because we’re so young.”

Although the team is inexperienced on the college level, with eight freshman and sophomores, the returning seniors carried the team in the first game at Illinois State on Aug. 26.

Senior Rachel VanMeter had one of Illinois’ best offensive performances at the Redbird Arena in Normal. The preseason All-Big Ten selection led the Illini with 39 kills, which is the third best single-game total in school history.

“The seniors are used to carrying the pressure,” Hardin said. “That’s one of the reasons, earlier in the year, I’m kind of concerned that we don’t keep our concentration on winning or losing, but on improving as a team.”

The concentration, Hardin said, will mainly focus on team chemistry and getting the right players on the court at the right time.

“We’re going to have to settle in on a lineup that we feel comfortable with,” Hardin said. “Knowing each other and where they’re going to be, and the familiarity that comes with that is really valuable. We’re still switching positions and having people come back from injuries, that really reeks havoc with the team.”

Going into the weekend, the team has set a couple goals to work toward.

“The first and most important goal is staying healthy,” said senior outside hitter Rasa Virsilaite. “We’re trying to watch out for each other, and all the coaches try to design practice so it’s just the right amount of work load.”

The team, Virsilaite said, is also working on first-ball, side-out kills, which is trying to put the ball down when the opponent has possession.

The Illini play Austin-Peay and Indiana State on Friday, the first day of competition, and finish up the tournament against UW-Green Bay and Northern Illinois on Saturday.

In 2004, Austin-Peay had the best record out of the four teams, posting a 16-16 mark. No other team was above .500, while Illinois’ record was 19-10.

“Usually the team with the more experience in the lineup is the one who’s playing better,” Hardin said. “But after three or four weeks into the season, things become more evident, talent and ability starts gelling and then there’s a big difference. The first weekend is sometimes a toss-up.”

NOTE: There is a misprint in the volleyball schedule card. The Illinois-Loyola match on Sept. 7, which says Loyola will be the host, is incorrect. This will be the Illinois’ first home match.

“It’s a great night for students to come typically,” Hardin said. “We usually have the biggest student crowd that first night, since school hasn’t heated up that much.”

Illinois women’s volleyball usually packs a crowd in Huff Hall, ranking 10th in the nation, with an average attendance of 1,761 fans. The Spike Squad, the Illinois student cheering section comparable to Orange Krush and Block-I, lines the side of the court behind the Illini bench.

On Aug. 30, the Division of Intercollegiate Athletics announced that volleyball tickets will also be free with a student ID starting this year.